The Syrian Arab Republic has just unveiled its new national logo, a golden eagle surmounted by three stars.
Just before Christmas (2024 - A year to forget, 13/12/24) I pondered the chances for a post-Assad Syria. "Is it possible" I wrote "that, between them, [President] Sharaa and [Prime Minister] Bashir will preside over a national 'truth and reconciliation' process rather than the murderous vengeance that usually follows such upheavals? After the appalling brutality of the Assad regime, and with so many simmering ethnoreligious tensions, it is hard to see how a functioning state, founded on the rule of law, could realistically emerge out of the chaos."
Well, seven months on, the emergence of a new symbol for the fledgling state, embodying the aspirations of its pre-Assad past while signposting an inclusive post-Assad future, must give rise to cautious optimism. According to the Arab News report of the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) press release: "the emblem is designed to signal historical continuity with the original post-independence design of 1945, while the "The visual identity was developed entirely by Syrian artists and designers, including visual artist Khaled Al-Asali, in a deliberate effort to ground the new identity in local heritage and creativity."
It is worth quoting the Arab News article at length in order to do justice to the scale of the new government's stated aspirations: "The redesign forms the centerpiece of a wider national branding effort aimed at redefining Syria’s image at home and abroad. The eagle has long held significance in Syrian history, appearing in early Islamic military symbolism, notably in the 7th-century Battle of Thaniyat Al-Uqab, and later as part of the 1945 emblem of Syria.
The new design retains this historic continuity but shifts its meaning, and the combative shield clutched by previous iterations of the eagle has been removed. Instead, the emblem now features the eagle topped by three stars representing the people symbolically placed above the state.The redesigned wings are outstretched, balanced rather than aggressive, with seven feathers each to represent Syria’s 14 governorates. The tail carries five feathers symbolizing the country’s major geographical regions: north, south, east, west, and central Syria — a nod to national unity and inclusivity, SANA reported.
Officials described the design as a “visual political covenant,” aimed at linking the unity of land with the unity of national decision-making. “The people, whose ambitions embrace the stars of the sky, are now guarded by a state that protects and enables them. In return, their survival and participation ensure the renaissance of the state.”
The emblem is designed to signal historical continuity with the original post-independence design of 1945, while also representing the vision of a modern Syrian state born from the will of its people, SANA said. Officials said the elevation of the stars above the eagle was intended to reflect the empowerment and liberation of the people, and the transition from a combative state to a more civic-minded one.
The symbolism also reinforces Syria’s territorial integrity, with all regions and governorates represented equally. The design, they said, reflects a new national pact, one that defines the relationship between the state and its citizens based on mutual responsibility and shared aspirations."
We must hope that this proud new eagle is not so freighted with symbolism that it cannot soar into a bright sky.