Last modified: 2008-01-19 by ian macdonald
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by Richard Knipel
by Richard Knipel
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The militant group run by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, called "Unity and Holy
War," is apparently using its own flag for display in hostage videos
and other purposes. This is black, with Arabic writing in white, and
a disc, in yellow or white. I guess that black may be based on the
color of the Abbasid dynasty who formed a Sunni Islamic Iraq-based
empire that was in conflict with Shiites, as Zarqawi's group is.
According to the New York Times, the flag was discovered in Falluja's
main police station after a February attack. It has also been used in
videos of Korean, Turkish, Bulgarian and Filipino hostages. I have provided
rough images of two versions I've seen in the media.
Richard Knipel, 11 July 2004
Both flags have the Shahada (Islamic creed) in different writing on top.
I can't read the blurred bottom inscription in the first version, but in the second it
says "al-tawhid" (unity) and "al-jihad" (holy war).
Dov Gutterman, 11 July 2004
The official name of this organization is Jama'at Al-Tawhid Wa'al-Jihad. The original organization founded by this man
was
called Jama'at Al-Tawhid Wa'al-Jihad (Monotheism and Jihad) and it was later succeeded by
the current organization called Tanzim Qa'idat al-Jihad fi Bilad
al-Rafidayn, as noticed here: "Founding Philosophy: Tanzim Qa'idat
al-Jihad Fi Bilad al-Rafidayn is the current name of the terrorist
group led by Abu Musab Zarqawi. The U.S. State Department has
understood this name, which is translated as Organization of Jihad's
Base in the Country of the Two Rivers, to imply that Zarqawi sees his
group as the center of Jihadist activities in Iraq. This change was
made after Zarqawi pledged his alliance to Osama bin Laden. Despite
the change in name, the goals of Zarqawi's group – to overthrow the
interim Iraqi government and establish an Islamic state in Iraq by
forcing out the U.S.-led coalition – remain constant."
Source: http://www.tkb.org/Group.jsp?groupID=4416
The logo of this organization is to be found at:
http://www.tkb.org/ImageDetail.jsp?id=7060
Esteban Rivera, 7 August 2005