The initiation of Mesopotamian Chaldean National Flag project goes back to the early eighties when the Local Authority Dept. in Iraq called upon professional visual artists and architects to design flags and emblems for Iraqi governorates. Amer Fatuhi was among over 1500 professional Artists. He participated in four designs representing flags and emblems of Babel (Babylon), Maysan, Nineveh and Basra all of which won first place for three consecutive years.

A year later, the president’s bureau announced a contest to design the national flag for the Iraqi country. Artist Fatuhi also took part in it among about a thousand visual artists and architects. He submitted two designs. One of them (Which was strongly accepted, and later on was selected to be the National Flag); two other designs out of seven reached the finals. However, they were put on hold until a specialized committee consulted the National Assembly to approve one of the three designs, but the whole project was miscarried upon the recommendation of the Iraqi National Assembly Head to retain the 1963 flag already in use. Artist Fatuhi, on his part, has largely benefited from that atmosphere which stimulates hard work, so he started researching the possibility of promoting a national Chaldean flag after he was interviewed by a Saudi International magazine (AL-Yamama) in 1985 following his second one-man exhibit (Home of Madness) at AL-Riwaq Art Gallery, the number one art gallery for professional artists in Iraq during mid-eighties.

When the Saudi journalist asked him about his cultural background he answered with no hesitation that his nationality is Chaldean, the most ancient civilized people (issue #917 P.66, 67, 68). However due the exceptional circumstances in his homeland he postponed the idea of submitting his flag design until he got to travel abroad in the mid nineties via a gracious invitation from an educational Center in Detroit. His conviction in the significance of that national project has even more intensified upon working as editor-in-chief and designing director of Orient Magazine in 1996 where he proposed the idea of setting out a Chaldean visual art forum (Later on ICA) and a Chaldean flag reflecting sublime connotations and cultural enlightenment.

In fact, such a project would have never seen light during that crucial time if it were not for the support of the Chaldean Educational Center of America and Rev. Jacob Yasso, pastor of Sacred Heart Chaldean Church.

In 1997, artist Fatuhi copyrighted its design in Washington, DC. Then he submitted it to the Sacred Heart Perish Council while he was in charge of the cultural activities there, he, too, submitted the same design to a few other Chaldean organization as well as some influential Chaldean personalities. However, in July 1998 artist Fatuhi submitted a modified design and published it in the third issue of Babylon today Magazine, P.16. He has also, on the occasion of inaugurating the Chaldean Town in Detroit, carried out some modifications on the flag based on a prior design he dedicated in 1986 to represent Maysan Governorate, the last Chaldean kingdom in Mesopotamia (311? .. 127 BC- 225 AD), which was published with his permission in the 2000 annual calendar of St. Thomas parish in the USA.

And because of a bunch of circumstances and to avoid confusion, a final decision to adopt the design was reached and approved in Dec. 1999 by ICA (the International Chaldean Association of Professional Visual Artists) and other Chaldean Organizations inside and outside the USA. All other Fatuhi’s versions of the flag were pulled out of circulation.

The courageous decision made by the staff of the Chaldean Educational Center of American in its 1997 term, the Community Educational Center in Detroit and ICA in 1999 to adopt the flag at a proper timing all of whom had the greatest impact in settling the issue that remained for years waiting for that closure.

We are all hope that our All- Mighty God bestows on us determination and strength to pursue all our goals with confidence under the patronage of this flag our national symbol in order to enhance the presence of our native Iraqis the Chaldean nation (in all its various Mesopotamian rites) and keep our cultural achievements which are definitely the legitimate heirs of the cultural gist of Beth-Nahrain.

The Word Chaldean comprises the native people of ancient Mesopotamia who are nationally Babylonian religiously Christian (Syriac or Surayeh)/ethnically Chaldean.

The CHALDEAN Flag 1985:

The two blue vertical lines (1987 versions and on) represent the eternal rivers Tigris and Euphrates which spring from the north and flow into the south of the Mesopotamian Land (The Chaldean Gulf/Tam-Ti-Sha-Mat-Kaldi) in the ancient Kaldee Babylonian language.

The sun (Eightfold Star) represents the Babylonians' symbol of Law and Justice, the two internal circles Yellow (Sun), Blue (Moon) representing the Chaldeans Babylonians' cultural contributions to the human history especially in Astronomy and Math. The eightfold sun is designed in the Mesopotamian Chaldean style, which goes back to 4100 BC proto-Chaldean's pictograph symbols.

The CHALDEAN NATIONAL EMBLEM 1997:

The sun (Eightfold Star) refers to the aforementioned definitions of the Flag. The Spouting Vase (The Life Spring) of the Emblem is a Mesopotamian Proto-Chaldean's symbol that refers to fertility, renewal, and growth. So here the vessel stands for the Land of the two rivers, whereas the two right and left currents represent the Tigris and the Euphrates.

CHALDEAN FLAG & EMBLEM, Their Purpose:

Using the flag and the emblem in the national festivities, political events, along with all ethnic occasions and celebrations, also for acknowledging the cultural contributions of our Chaldean Babylonian people.

THE FLAG DAY: MAY 17th

To honor Nebuchadnezzar’s father the Chaldean king Nabopolassar (Nabu-apla-usur) who liberated Babylonia on Ayar 17, 4674K. (May 17 , 626 B.C.) and assumed throne of the greatest capital of the ancient world on Tishreen II / Nov. 23, 626 B.C.