From: dwayne (dwayne@pobox.com)
Date: Mon Apr 01 2002 - 16:00:42 MST
Lee Daniel Crocker wrote:
>
> > (dwayne <dwayne@pobox.com>):
> > spike66 wrote:
> >
> > > and the symbol euphamistically
> > > referred to as a "crescent" is symbolic of an Arabic sword used
> > > to lop off heads of infidels.
> >
> > I thought it was meant to represent the moon?
>
> I always thought it was meant to symbolize the fertile crescent
> area of north Africa.
Ahhh, yes, 2 second's research on google finds:
http://islam.about.com/library/weekly/aa060401a.htm
---------------
The early Muslim community did not really have a symbol. During the time of
the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), Islamic armies and caravans flew
simple solid-colored flags (generally black, green, or white) for
identification purposes. In later generations, the Muslim leaders continued
to use a simple black, white, or green flag with no markings, writing, or
symbolism on it.
It wasn't until the Ottoman Empire that the crescent moon and star became
affiliated with the Muslim world. When the Turks conquered Constantinople
(Istanbul) in 1453, they adopted the city's existing flag and symbol. Legend
holds that the founder of the Ottoman Empire, Osman, had a dream in which the
crescent moon stretched from one end of the earth to the other. Taking this
as a good omen, he chose to keep the crescent and make it the symbol of his
dynasty. There is speculation that the five points on the star represent the
five pillars of Islam, but this is pure conjecture. The five points were not
standard on the Ottoman flags, and as you will see on the following page, it
is still not standard on flags used in the Muslim world today.
For hundreds of years, the Ottoman Empire ruled over the Muslim world. After
centuries of battle with Christian Europe, it is understandable how the
symbols of this empire became linked in people's minds with the faith of Islam
as a whole.
Based on this history, many Muslims reject using the crescent moon as a symbol
of Islam. The faith of Islam has historically had no symbol, and many refuse
to accept what is essentially an ancient pagan icon. It is certainly not in
uniform use among Muslims.
---------------
Dwayne
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Sat Nov 02 2002 - 09:13:11 MST