![[Nation of Islam]](../images/u/us_noi.gif)
by Richard Knipel, modified by António Martins-Tuválkin
Last modified: 2019-08-01 by rob raeside
Keywords: islam | nation of islam |
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Use uncertain - web graphic
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by Richard Knipel, modified by António Martins-Tuválkin
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See also:
The "Nation of Islam"
movement is a black/Muslim movement directed by Reverend Louis Farrakhan.
The flag is
described as "the symbol of unity of all Muslims throughout the World".
It is a horizontally-mirrored version of the
national Turkish flag (i.e. with crescent opposed and pointing to hoist).
Ivan Sache, 4 August 1998
According to the website at www.noi.org
(particularly the flags photo rather than the logo), you see that this is not
merely a backwards Turkish flag. Both the crescent and particularly the star are
much larger, and the star is oriented with two points inside the crescent.
They also say this: "The Flag of Islam with the symbols of the Sun,
Moon, and the Stars, represent the Universe and is also a Banner of
Universal peace and Harmony." I have seen this flag design with
capital letters at the corners, starting from the upper hoist going clockwise:
J, F, I, E. I have seen this on other logo depictions, but never on a flag, and
so I have excluded it.
Richard Knipel, 13 July 2004
Apparently there are variations to this flag used by various individuals. I
have seen a few, so I don't know if there is any "one" design.
Rick Wyatt, 13 July 2004
The letters J, F, I, E should actually be read in this order F, J, E, I as
they stand for Freedom, Justice and Equality, Islam. For only Freedom, Justice
and Equality for All regardless of Race, or Creed or Colour achieves Islam
(Peace).
Anonymous e-mail, 25 October 2004
Concerning actual flags in use as such, I found four more or less distinct designs.
I. Original flag with white border and four words
![[Nation of Islam]](../images/u/us}noi0.gif)
image by António
Martins-Tuválkin, 2 May 2018
This is presented on the cover of The Flag of Islam (https://www.smashwords.com/extreader/read/81215/1/the-flag-of-islam,
https://www.smashwords.com/extreader/), a 1974 book [ejm74] by Elijah Muhammad, leader of NoI in 1934-1975 (see
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elijah_Muhammad). The contents of the book
(22 pages) are in typical religious revelation style.
It is a ~2:3 red
flag with a a star-and-crescent (in Tunisian style, i.e. the
star inside the concavity of the crescent) on the right hand side and
pointing leftwards, and a very wide white border (thickness ~24% of the flags
height); on it, along its diagonals, red lettering reading "justice" (upper
right), "equality" (lower right), "freedom" (upper left), and "Islam" (lower
right) in sans serif grotesque capitals (typeface similar to Futura Light).
It is not clear from the book illustration which is the intended
orientation of the flag (therefore I didnt use hoist and fly directions in
the description), both possibilities being arguable: sinister hoisted
(therefore, crescent pointing to the fly) and dexter hoisted (therefore,
crescent pointing to the hoist).
António
Martins-Tuválkin, 2 May 2018
II. Square flag with initials and large
emblem
![[Nation of Islam]](../images/u/us}noi1.gif)
image by António
Martins-Tuválkin, 2 May 2018
A red square with a large crescent-and-star (fully
in Tunisian style) with the initials of the same four words "J" (upper
right), "E" (lower right), "F" (upper left), and "I" (lower right) as white
serif capitals. This idealized design is in widespread use at
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Noi_flag_2.svg.
This design,
distorted to simulate perspective, was used as an icon in some NoI web
presences, as said, and can still be seen at
http://s248.photobucket.com/user/ProfessorofTruth/media/Nation%20of%20Islam/NationofIslamflag.gif.html and, linearized, at
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Noi_flag_2.png (where it notably is
not used in any Wikipedia article).
The
orthogonal form, undistorted, it is widely used online as an icon, including
some flagoids, such as
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/77/6a/20/776a20072605ef6380dddf3b5a794ac7.png. Here as a patch
appliquéd to clothing items:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/588039093/nation-of-islam-short-sleeve-t-shirt
or
https://www.etsy.com/listing/574914260/nation-of-islam-flag-classic-dad-cap
(the latter stretched to an oblong, flag-like ratio).
The square emblem,
lacking the letters, can be seen as a logo at NoI facilities: See
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:20051030-161112-08-E-Nation-of-Islam-mosque.jpg
and
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nation_of_Islam,_Indianapolis.jpg,
among many others.
III. Rectangular flag with initials
![[Nation of Islam]](../images/u/us}noi2.gif)
image by António
Martins-Tuválkin, 2 May 2018
An oblong version of the square flag with initials, redesigned
as such and not merely stretched (as mentioned above), can also be seen in
flag-like use, such as in this Alamy.COM graphic
http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-flag-green-skin-black-swarthy-jetblack-deep-black-moon-freedom-liberty-141946712.html,
in parallel with the African American flag.
IV.
Revised logo = current flag?
![[Nation of Islam]](../images/u/us}noi.gif)
image by António
Martins-Tuválkin, 2 May 2018
As late as 2013 as simpler
design was published in the NoI website as its "revised logo", implying that it
replaces previous ones (https://www.noi.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/revised_noi_logo.png). It is
a rectangular design approx. 2:3 (almost exactly 23:36), plain red with only
a crescent-and-star facing the left and placed at the right, with no words
nor initials.
The diameter of the circle inscribing the crescent is
2/3rds of the flags height and the star, still placed within its
concavity, is smaller than in the flag of Tunisia.
Again, it
is not clear which side is meant to be the hoist, and the reverse of the
design can only be inferred to be chiral. Only direct witnessing of actual
flags in hoisted use can dispel this uncertainty.
António
Martins-Tuválkin, 2 May 2018
