Current Flag of Afghanistan

Afghanistan’s current flag consists of three equal vertical bands of black, red, and green. The black color represents the dark past when its foreign policy was under control of the British Empire, the red represents the blood shed for Independence, and the green color represents hope and a prosperous Islamic future.

In the center of the flag is an emblem which consists of a masjid (mosque) with a flag on each side. The year 1298 (1919 in Gregorian calendar) is written on a scroll. The year 1919 is when Afghanistan obtained control over its foreign affairs from the British Empire. Underneath the date is the name “Afghanistan” written in Dari. The central image is circled by sheaves of wheat, representing fertility. Wheat is very important in Aryan culture; it is believed that Yama, the first Aryan king, and Ahmad Shah Durrani, founder of modern Afghanistan, both used crowns made from wheat in their coronations.

On the top of the emblem is the phrase “Allahu Akbar” in Arabic (God is Great), and slightly above that are rays of sun leading up to the Islamic Declaration of Faith or “Shahada” (in Arabic): “There is no deity but God, and Mohammad is the messenger of God”.