Iraqi Flag Changes, but Not Sectarian Distrust

The democracy on display Tuesday in parliament resulted in removing three stars from the flag, which represent the Baath Party ideals, and rendering "God Is Great" in an Arabic font called Kufi rather than the earlier font, which looked like Hussein's handwriting. Parliament members from the leading Sunni bloc, as well as the followers of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, opposed the changes.

Alayan, the Sunni parliament member, said he had initially expected to vote on revisions that would change the meaning of the stars but leave the design in place. He arrived at the legislature and was faced with a different choice, and thus the conspiracy he decried.

"This was just a show," he said. "This should not be a question of satisfying this side or that side. It's the dignity of the country, and the country should be above everyone."

Opponents will get another chance for a say on the flag, having secured the right to make amendments within a year. The Sadrist lawmakers opposed the law because they did not want the confusion of repeated changes to the design, or to provide an opening for other provinces to choose, as Kurdistan has, which flag to fly, according to Nasar al-Rubaie, a Sadrist lawmaker. When asked whether the design itself would be acceptable to his colleagues, Rubaie demurred.

"That needs to be studied," he said. "And then we will decide."

Special correspondent Zaid Sabah contributed to this report.