Kerfuffles :: Crosses and Flags :: October

Islamists Demand that England Find a New Flag and a New Patron Saint.

Does this sound familiar at all: Ban on the Banner of Saint George? Americans all know that the “Southern Cross,” an ensign representing the cross of Saint Andrew, is offensive to some, but now comes word that the “Red Cross” is offensive to others.

To Americans, this kerfuffle sounds very much like our own controversy over the Confederate Battle Flag or the “Southern Cross.” The “Southern Cross” was one of many battle flags used by Southerners during the War Between the States, but it was never the national flag of the Confederacy, as some have mistakenly assumed. The “Southern Cross” was the cross of Saint Andrew, the apostle of Jesus who was crucified on an X-shaped cross. Said cross reflected the Scottish ancestry of many of the Southern soldiers, as Saint Andrew was the patron saint of Scotland. As the cross of Saint Andrew with stars added representing the Southern states, was very distinctive and not likely to be mistaken for the Union’s Stars and Stripes during battle, it became the most popular of all the battle flags of the Confederate States Army. After the war, the “Southern Cross” became a symbol of pride to the vanquished veterans and their families and it was displayed to honor the men who had fought “The Lost Cause” for their native states. As years passed by, the true history and heritage of the flag was forgotten and many Americans came to believe that it represented the national flag of the Confederacy.

The banner of the martyred Saint George, a red cross on a white background, also had its beginnings as a battle flag - for English Crusaders during the middle ages. It later became the national flag of England.

Recently in Great Britain, Chris Doyle, director of the Council for the Advancement of Arab-British Understanding, said that the red cross was an insensitive reminder of the Crusades. “A lot of Muslims and Arabs view the Crusades as a bloody episode in our history. They see those campaigns as Christendom launching a brutal holy war against Islam.” Doyle said that the time has now arrived for England to find a new flag and a new patron saint “not associated with our bloody past and one we can all identify with.”

And what’s to become of the British Union Jack? That ensign contains three crosses representing three Christian saints. When the British remove the offending red cross, the cross of Saint George, does anyone truly believe that will be sufficient? Certainly, someone, somewhere, will claim something offensive about the white diagonal cross of Saint Andrew and/or the red diagonal cross of Saint Patrick. Multi-culturalism means that the majority must give up its ancient heritage, religion, symbols and history, bequeathed to it by the blood of martyrs and patriots, so that the minority be not offended.