Re: Bug#283578: ITP: hot-babe -- erotic graphical system activity monitor
Russell Coker <russell@coker.com.au> writes:
> Which goes by the name (and flag) of "Red Crescent" in Arabic countries as
> they still have not forgotten or forgiven what the crusaders did while
> carrying a flag with a red cross on a white background.
Um, no. Crusaders didn't necessarily have arms "argent, a cross
gules", and it would have been silly if they all did. The purpose of
armorial bearings is to distinguish fighters from each other.
Crusaders adopted the custom of emblazoning a cross on their arms, but
since those arms were of course inherited, bearing a cross on your
arms didn't mean you were a crusader, just that you were descended
from one. And, it shortly became the fashion, with the result that
crosses are extremely common in European heraldry. In fact, if memory
serves, the Austrialian flag has four, right, three on the Union Jack,
and then of course the Southern Cross?
The Red Cross symbol is just the inversion of the Swiss flag (which
is, of course, "gules, a cross argent").
But the display of crosses is generally verboten in Muslim countries
(though, of course, the display of Muslim insignia is not generally
verboten in Christian countries). Since the Red Cross is neutral
about such things, it is the Red Crescent in some countries, with the
same status in international law. It should be noted that the "Red
Cross of David" sometimes seen, or the Eritrean combo Red
Cross/Crescent symbol, are not protected under international law.
You can read the whole history at
http://www.icrc.org/Web/Eng/siteeng0.nsf/iwpList91/303D86D1C5F553DCC1256E3E004E3466 (sorry for the grotesque URL, blame the ICRC).
Thomas
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