ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Chamchamal district, in the Kurdistan Region’s eastern Sulaimani province, on Wednesday celebrated Kurdistan Flag Day despite being the most devastated by heavy rains and flooding that hit the region last week.
At a ceremony held at Qandil School in the Takiya sub-district of Chamchamal, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Education Minister Alan Hama Saeed marked the occasion, saying, "Nearly 80 years ago, this flag was raised at Chwarchira Square [in the city of Mahabad, located in western Iran’s Kurdish-majority region (Rojhelat)], in the presence of the notable Qazi [Muhammad] and the notable Mulla Mustafa Barzani."
He added, "Later, it was entrusted to us to carry on its legacy," emphasizing that "generation after generation, under the shadow of this flag that unites us all, may we serve the people and the land of Kurdistan."
The Kurdistan flag was first raised over official government buildings in 1946, when Kurdish leader Qazi Muhammad declared the Republic of Mahabad in the city of Mahabad in Rojhelat.
Although the republic existed only briefly, the flag has come to symbolize Kurdish resistance and nationalism in the face of oppression.
The Kurdish flag comprises a red band, symbolizing the blood of those who sacrificed their lives in the Kurdish struggle for freedom; a white band, representing peace and equality; and a green band, reflecting the Kurdish nation and connecting its mountainous landscapes and serene waters.
The 21-point golden star at the center spans all three bands, symbolizing the rebirth of an entity or the revival of an idea, according to Mehrdad M.R. Izady, a prominent Kurdish historian who worked to standardize the flag.
The Kurdistan Region’s legislature in 2004 designated December 17 as Kurdistan Flag Day. The occasion has since been celebrated annually by millions of Kurds worldwide.
Across the Region, the day is marked by school celebrations, with students wearing traditional Kurdish attire and painting their faces in the colors of the flag.
This year’s celebrations, however, come against the backdrop of deadly floods that struck the Kurdistan Region and parts of Iraq last week.
Chamchamal was the hardest-hit area, where two people were killed and 12 others injured, according to the Region’s Joint Crisis Coordination Center (JCC). The center added that some 1,607 homes were damaged, 200 vehicles destroyed, 115 shops and workplaces affected, and 450 projects impacted.
Erbil’s Education Minister, Alan, remarked on Wednesday, "What is important to us is that Chamchamal will most certainly overcome this situation," adding, "Today, from Erbil, we have made cash funds available to the Sulaimani Education Directorate so they can begin renovating the schools in the area without delay."