Editing Assyrian flag (section)

==History==
Prior to [[World War I]], [[Terms for Syriac Christians#Syriac identity|Western Assyrians]] (i.e. Syriac Orthodox Assyrians, Syriacs, etc.) from the [[Tur Abdin]] region designed an Assyrian flag consisting of three horizontal tricolor stripes colored purple, white, and red, with three white stars at the upper hoist.<ref name="auaf.us"/> The purple, white, and red bars represented the loyalty, purity, and determination of the Assyrian people, and the three white stars represent the three names or components of the Assyrian nation, [[Assyrian people|Assyrians]], [[Terms for Syriac Christians#Syriac identity|Syriacs]], and [[Chaldean Catholics|Chaldeans]].<ref name=ChaldOn>{{cite web |title=The Old Assyrian Flag |url=http://www.chaldeansonline.net/photo/oldflag.html |website=Chaldeans On Line |access-date=21 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060105110929/http://www.chaldeansonline.net/photo/oldflag.html |archive-date=5 January 2006}}</ref><ref name=AANF>{{cite web |author1=AANF |title=HISTORY |url=http://aanf.org/history.html |website=Assyrian American National Federation |access-date=21 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050207234713/http://aanf.org/history.html |archive-date=7 February 2005}}</ref> This flag was used during delegation meetings with Assyrian politicians and Western powers post World War I, including the Assyro-Chaldean delegation of the [[Paris Peace Conference (1919–1920)|Paris Peace Conference]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bethsuryoyo.com/images/GalleryPics/AssyrianDelegationUN/UnDeleg1.html|title=Commemoration Picture of the Assyrian Delegations to the Peace Conference|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090616224552/http://www.bethsuryoyo.com/images/GalleryPics/AssyrianDelegationUN/UnDeleg1.html |archive-date=June 16, 2009}}</ref> Alternative variations of the flag exist with a salmon stripe instead of a purple one.

During the First World War, the [[Assyrian volunteers]] commanded by [[Agha Petros]] used a red flag with a white cross. Agha Petros' [[Military colours, standards and guidons|personal standard]] was the flag of the Volunteers but made of silk, with a golden fringe added, and the words "Trust God and follow the Cross" written in [[Suret language|Assyrian]] above and around the cross.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Lindenmayer |first1=Sarah |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tIp_DwAAQBAJ&q=%22trust+god%22&pg=PA21 |title=Debt of Honour: How an Anzac saved the Assyrian people from Genocide |date=2018 |publisher=Australian Self Publishing Group |isbn=9780648317722 |page=21 |language=en |access-date=21 June 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=S.G. SAVIGE. D.S.O., M.C. |url=http://assyrianlevies.info/stalkys-forlorn-hope.html |title=STALKY'S FORLORN HOPE |date=1920 |publisher=McCubbin |language=en}}</ref> [[Malik Qambar]], a Chaldean Catholic Assyrian, created his own flag in a style reminiscent of the [[French flag]], with a multi-cone star in the center and three stripes on the top.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shoumanov |first=Vasili |date=2021 |title=Assyrian Yellow Pages by Vasili Shoumanov.pdf |url=https://drive.google.com/file/d/1k4_OJZjV-WIxqBhkbXnWXAEl5BWP7ywd/view |access-date=2025-04-06 |website= |publisher=assyrianyp.com}}</ref>

The three stripe flag was also in use by the Assyrian National Federation, later renamed the Assyrian American Federation and the Assyrian American National Federation, from its founding in 1933 until 1975 when they adopted the current Assyrian flag.<ref name="ChaldOn" /><ref name="AANF" /> Syriac Orthodox Assyrians in [[Worcester, Massachusetts]] had also used the flag near their churches before the advent of the modern naming dispute.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Joseph |first=Max J. |date=2020-04-24 |title=On “National Sanctity”: A Letter from Abraham K. |url=https://deadmanmax.medium.com/1927-a-letter-from-abraham-k-yousuf-to-the-syriac-orthodox-patriarch-mar-ignatius-elias-iii-d9729a4cd664 |access-date=2025-04-06 |website=Medium |language=en}}</ref>

=== Modern flag ===
Following the founding of the Assyrian Universal Alliance, the organization set out to create a brand new Assyrian flag. In 1968, they launched a contest that called for Assyrian artists to envision a new Assyrian flag that would be used to represent the people and their heritage.<ref>{{Cite web |date=19 July 2014 |title=Le drapeau assyro-chaldéen: CRÉATION ET SIGNIFICATION |url=https://drive.google.com/file/d/11Afb0boeBufo2b9uWxhxDKJi65-38-5L/view |access-date=2025-04-06 |website=ninwaymag.com |publisher=Ninway Magazine |language=French}}</ref> The early inspirations of the design for the flag came from Vladimir Beit David, an Assyrian originally from Iran who incorporated the modern symbolism such as the star of Ishtar into Assyrian associations and activities in [[Tehran]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Evolution |url=https://www.assyrianflag.org/evolution |access-date=2025-04-06 |website=RAF |language=en}}</ref> This star design would over time be incorporated into greater use across Assyrian organizations.

The modern design of the flag is credited to George Bit-Atanous, a seismic engineer from Russia whose family was originally from [[Urmia]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Assyrian Flag and Its Designer |url=http://www.aina.org/ata/20120504113123.htm |access-date=2025-04-06 |website=www.aina.org}}</ref> As he continued to engage in personal studies, Atanous was actively involved in several Assyrian organizations, and personally studied [[Assyriology]], taking inspiration from the field to incorporate ancient Assyrian iconography into modern designs and symbols. He presented his design for the modern flag at the 3rd annual AUA congress, which was unanimously accepted.

The design of the flag was decided on during the 6th annual AUA congress in [[Yonkers, New York]].<ref name=":1" /> Throughout the 1970s leading into the 1980s, the modern design of the flag would be used more frequently, replacing the former three stripe design.<ref name=":0" />

=== Alternate variations ===
{{See also|Chaldean flag|Aramean-Syriac flag}}
In 1980, the journal ''Bahro Suryoyo'' of the Syriac Federation of Sweden ({{Langx|sv|Syrianska Riksförbundet i Sverige}}) created a new flag in the wake of the Swedish naming conflict between Assyrian and Aramean. The flag features a red background and a yellow eagle design based on the excavations at [[Tell Halaf]] in the 20th century. A flame was added later on to represent the [[Holy Spirit in Christianity|Holy Spirit]], but is said to have originated from Assyrian symbolism that was used by organizations in [[Lebanon]] and the [[Assyrian diaspora|diaspora]] before the advent of the modern naming dispute.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hajjar |first=Hanna |title=The origin of the Aramean eagle and flag {{!}} Assyrians [Syriacs] |url=https://assyrians.n.nu/8 |access-date=2025-04-06 |website=assyrians.n.nu}}</ref>

Sometime between the 1990s and 2000s, a new flag was created that aimed to represent the Chaldean Catholic part of the Assyrian community.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chaldean Flag |url=http://chaldeanflag.com/flag.html}}</ref> The Chaldean flag bears a white background with two blue stripes on the left and right-hand sides, with a combination of the stars of Shamash and [[Inanna|Ishtar]] in the middle. However, the flag has received criticism for its association with the Assyrian naming dispute and larger sectarianism in the Assyrian community, as well as a copyright<ref>{{cite web |author=Amer Hanna Fatuhi |title=Letter of Authorization |url=https://chaldeanflag.com/letterofauthorization.html |access-date=24 April 2024}}</ref> in place by the creator and a lawsuit involving Chaldean Catholic bishop [[Sarhad Yawsip Jammo]].<ref>{{cite court|litigants=Amer Shendaj v. Chaldean Federation of America and Sarhad Jammo|vol=|reporter=|opinion=|pinpoint=|court=United States District Court, Southern Division for Eastern District of Michigan|date=January 3, 2002|postscript=none|url=https://www.scribd.com/document/500684905/Amer-Hanna-Fatuhi-aka-Amer-Hanna-Shendaj-sued-Bishop-Jammo-from-the-Chaldean-Catholic-Church-for-using-the-Chaldean-Flag-that-Jammo-Helped-Create-Acc}}</ref>

In 2017, the [[Syriac Union Party (Syria)]] and [[Syriac Military Council]] began using a new tri-colored flag to represent Assyrians in the [[Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria]].<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2017 |title=الرايات السريانية تزين مدينة الحسكة |url=http://sutoro-forces.blogspot.com/2017/04/blog-post.html |access-date=2025-04-02 |website=SUTORO |language=Arabic}}</ref> However, the flag is considered unofficial and has rarely seen use outside of the party or Syria altogether.