The Name of God on Flags

Originally published in the Vexilloid Tabloid, no. 84, October 2020

Mississippi has chosen the design which will be put to voters this November as a replacement for its former state flag:

A blue flag with gold-edged red vertical bands on either side and, in the center, a white magnolia flower encircled by 21 stars and “In God we trust” — Mississippi (proposal)

As mandated by the state legislature, the new proposal includes the motto “In God we trust”. In my opinion, unfortunately, this infringes the first amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits any government endorsement of religion in the United States.* If the new design is approved by voters, Mississippi may be trading a divisive old flag for an illegal new one.

But Mississippi isn’t the only U.S. state to mention God on its flag. Florida and Georgia both already have “In God we trust” on theirs. And, hidden amid a mass of other text, South Dakota’s flag includes the motto “Under God the people rule”.

A white flag with a red saltire and the Florida state seal overall — Florida

A red–white–red horizontal tribar with a blue canton containing 13 white stars encircling the Georgia state emblem and “In God we trust” — Georgia

Detail of a light blue flag with the South Dakota state seal encircled by triangular sun rays and an inscription in gold — South Dakota (detail)

Worldwide, six national flags carry the name of God. Four are in Arabic – all of these in countries where Islam is the official religion of the state – and two in Spanish. Iraq’s flag prominently features the takbir (“God is greatest” in Arabic).

The central emblem on the Iranian flag is both a stylized tulip and the Arabic word Allah (“God”). The takbir also appears, written 22 times between the stripes in reference to the date of the 1979 revolution (22 Bahman in the Iranian calendar).

A red–white–black horizontal tricolor with “Allahu akbar” in green Arabic script in the white stripe — Iraq

A green–white–red horizontal tricolor with a stylized red “Allah” in the center, and the takbir repeated 11 times each at the top and bottom of the white stripe — Iran

The flag of Saudi Arabia includes the shahada, or Islamic declaration of faith (“There is no god but God; Muhammad is God’s messenger”).

God’s name appears twice on the Afghan flag, where the central emblem contains both the shahada and the takbir at the top. (Historically, Afghanistan has changed its flag over 15 times. With a couple of short-lived exceptions, none of these flags contained the name of God until after the 1989–92 civil war.)

A green flag with the shahada and a horizontal sword in white — Saudi Arabia

A black–red–green vertical tricolor with a white national emblem overall (featuring a mosque, two flags and a wheat wreath) — Afghanistan

In the Dominican Republic, where Catholicism is the state religion, the emblem at the center of the flag includes the Spanish motto “God, Fatherland, Liberty”. The emblem on the flag of El Salvador bears a similar motto: “God, Union, Liberty”. Alone among these six countries, El Salvador has no official religion, although over 80% of the population are Christians.

A blue, red and white shield surrounded by a wreath, with “Dios, Patria, Libertad” on a scroll above and “República Dominicana” below — Dominican Republic (detail)

A triangular emblem surrounded by Salvadoran flags and a wreath, with “Dios, Unión, Libertad” on a scroll below and “República de El Salvador en la América Central” around the whole — El Salvador (detail)

Of course there are many flags with other sorts of religious symbolism – bodhi leaves, crescents, crosses, stars of David, temples, etc. – but that’s a topic for another time!