Newsmaker: the UAE flag

Patriotism runs deep in the UAE. Emiratis are staunchly proud of their country and leap at any opportunity to celebrate it. From heritage to foliage, the country makes great efforts to preserve and promote its history and identity. Perhaps most symbolic of this is the country's reverence for its flag.
A national flag is an overarching symbol of collective unity. It immortalises the values, paradigms and culture of a country's founding fathers. To Emiratis, union is key, and the federal flag is seen as a celebration of the bond between the individual emirates. It watches over government buildings, police stations, boats and private houses uninterrupted throughout the year. It travels far and wide, from wadis to outer space and from festivals to weddings. It's waved by members of every strata of society, hoisted on skyscrapers and painted on satellites.
Since its birth in 1971, the flag has been present at every noteworthy (and many obscure) national events. When the UAE won its first Gulf Cup in 2007, and its second this year, the country saw a stampede of cars draped in flags. No doubt it would have made an appearance when the country's Armed Forces were unified in May 1976, too. At these events, the flag is an observer, an ambassador and an embodiment of pride.
This National Day will undoubtedly see the UAE awash in a sea of red, green, white and black. Every year, as the day draws nearer, residents stock up on all manner of flag-themed trinkets; from designer sunglasses to macaroons. The flag even earned its own dedicated day this year when Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, declared November 3 Flag Day - Emiratis across the country hoisted up their flags with hearty vigour. Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, the Minister of Interior and Deputy Prime Minister, said that Flag Day is a symbol of unity. "Celebrations echo the first day on which the founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan, and his late brothers, the founders of the UAE Union, hoisted the flag on December 2, 1971, which has become the 'day of truth' as it symbolises the birth of the nation and Emirati people."
The flag was designed by the then 19-year-old Abdullah Mohammed Al Maainah, who beat an estimated 1,029 other entries in a competition. Before this, the emirates were known collectively as the Trucial States, whose council had its own red-and-white flag - colours of the individual emirates - with a gold heptagram in the middle.
Abu Dhabi's flag is red, with a small white rectangle in the upper hoist - the hoist being the side closest to the flagpole. Meanwhile, the Dubai and Ajman flags have a red backdrop with a narrow, vertical rectangle at the hoist. Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah also share a flag; a red rectangle in the middle of a white backdrop. Umm Al Quwain has a white rectangle at the hoist and a crescent and star - almost a mirror image of Turkey's flag. Finally, Fujairah uses the federal flag, although it used to have a plain red flag with Fujairah written on it.
While all of the seven emirates have their own flags, they all ultimately answer to the federal flag, which shares the colours seen on most Arab countries' flags - red, white, green and black. This unison stems from the flag heralded by the 1916 pan-Arab revolt against Ottoman rule, where each colour represented a different Arab dynasty. This flag had a sideways red triangle at the hoist and three horizontal stripes, with black at the top, green in the middle and white at the bottom. The modern Palestinian flag looks exactly the same; except the green stripe is on the bottom and the white in the middle.
Black symbolised the volatile early Islamic years (570-632AD), when the religion spread across the Middle East under the Prophet Mohammed and the first two caliphates. White was used by the Umayyad Caliphate (661-750AD) to represent the Battle of Badr, where the Prophet Mohammed raised a white flag after his first battlefield victory. The Fatimid caliphate (909-1171AD) used green, a homage to Prophet Mohammed's cousin Ali - who wrapped himself in green in the Prophet's place to foil an assassination attempt. Finally, red was used by a variety of groups and dynasties from the Hashemites to the Andalusians.
However, the UAE flag reimagines this symbolism. According to the official UAE flag website, the inspiration of the designed symbolism in the UAE flag's colours is summed up in two stanzas of an Arabic poem by Safi-u-ddin Al Hali. The website says: "The poet wrote about the hard-fought historical battles of the land, with deeds and intentions that were white, meaning benign, but the vigour of the battles were black, meaning strong, while the lands were vast and green, and the gallant swords were stained with red blood of enemies."
The flag is not just respected though; it's protected by the law. The 1971 law states: "Any person who, publicly or at any public place or a location opened for people, drops, damages or in any way insults the Union flag, the flag of any member emirate in the Union or the flag of any other country as a result of disgust or contempt of the powers of the Union, the emirates or the relevant countries, shall be punished by prison for a period of no more than six (6) months and fine of no more than one thousand (1000.00) Qatari riyal ... or one hundred (100.00) Bahraini dinar."
Harvey Nichols found itself in hot water in 2009 after stocking a T-shirt depicting a bulldog standing on a UAE flag. The Mall of the Emirates shop was closed and staff had to remove the items and issue an apology. Dogs are considered impure animals in Islamic tradition, rendering it a particularly offensive image to Emiratis. The T-shirt was part of a series using different flags from across the world, with few causing as much uproar as the UAE incident; an example of the level of reverence in which the UAE flag is held.
Moreover, the flag must be raised over all ministerial and governmental buildings, departments and establishments throughout the week - including Fridays and public holidays. It also needs to be raised permanently over police stations, customs, border-guard corps, airports and sea ports. Commercial ships and warships within UAE waters must also keep the flag raised.
During official mourning, the flag can be hung at half-staff. This has been done multiple times in the past following the deaths of UAE dignataries, most recently Sheikha Alia bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, sister of the Ruler of Sharjah. However, it has also been flown at half-staff following the deaths of other GCC leaders, such as Saudi Arabia's former Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
The UAE is unique in its history, culture and symbols, and its avid protection of these. The federal flag is no exception. From 1971 onward, it became a key part of the nation's heritage. However quickly the country's landscape and people change, the flag will remain a constant reminder of the founding fathers and their ideals.
halbustani@thenational.ae
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