on a black background]]The jihadist flag is a flag commonly used by various Islamist and Islamic fundamentalist movements as a symbol of jihadism. It usually consists of the Black Standard with a white text of the Shahada'' (Islamic declaration of faith) emblazoned across it in Arabic calligraphy. Its usage is asserted to be adopted by Islamist groups and jihadists during the 1990s and early 2000s.
Organizations who use jihadist flags include
al-Qaeda, al-Shabaab, the
Taliban, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the al-Qassam Brigades and
Jemaah Islamiyah.
Muqwaki seal variant
The variant used by the
Islamic State, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, Islamic State of Iraq,
Boko Haram, Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin, and al-Shabaab depicts the
Muqwaki variant of the alleged seal of Muhammad,
[The SITE (Search for International Terrorist Entities) website on 23 January 2007 stated:
"The Islamic State of Iraq issued a document titled: 'The Legality of the Flag in Islam,' which contains the image of its flag and information to its symbolism, today, Tuesday, January 23, 2007. Text on the flag reading, 'No God, but Allah, and Muhammad is Allah's Messenger,' are the words contained on the flag of the Prophet Muhammad that he carried into battle and handed to generations of bearers. The Islamic State provides evidence and legitimacy for this banner from Islamic scholars, and goes into detail regarding opinions of the flag's material, title, and significance. According to the group the circular shape matches the ring stamp of the Prophet found on many scripts, and the order of the words are to indicate the supremacy of Allah over the Messenger." Cited by Ivan Sache at Flags of the World on 18 February 2007.[1]
] which some scholars consider to be an anachronistic forgery.
Legality
In August 2014, British Prime Minister
David Cameron suggested that anybody displaying "the Islamic State flag" in the United Kingdom should be arrested.
Citing the Terrorism Act 2000, section 13 (1b) of the act states "a person in a public place commits an offence if he wears, carries or displays an article in such a way or in such circumstances as to arouse reasonable suspicion that he is a member or supporter of a proscribed organisation" and can face six months in prison or a statutory fine.
It has also been banned from public demonstration in the Netherlands since August 2014.
The use of the image of the Seal of Muhammad Jihadist Flag "ISIS flag" (but not other versions of the Black Standard) for non-educational purposes has been forbidden in Germany by the Federal Ministry of the Interior since September 2014.
See also
External links
