The Crescent and the Star and Crescent as Symbols

Translation of
http://thearbitertribunal.blogspot.com/2009/07/blog-post.html :)

Most people today would answer the question 'What do a star and crescent symbolize?' with 'Islam.' This is incorrect.

It is easy to guess why the average Westerner would think that. After all, there is a crescent with a star in the flags of most muslim countries. The Middle East has a 'Red Crescent' organization because the Red Cross is considered too christian (1). In Battlefield2 the MEC flag (Middle-Eastern Coalition, guess which Abrahamic religion they follow) has a crescent.

And still, the star and crescent are not a symbol of Islam. To begin with, many of the muslims themselves refuse to accept it as a symbol (2), (3). The reason for that is that Islam traditionally has no symbols, since they fall under 'idolatry' along with depicting people, animals or plants. There are speculations that the five rays of the star, which is the standard star on the flags, symbolize the five prayers per day in Islam. However, this kind of star is not really a standard for flags, nor has it been for Ottoman flags, nor does symbolize the five-prayer rule (ibid.). Therefore Islam is not directly connected with this symbol.

As a matter of fact, it is the Ottomans who are responsible for the spread of this symbol. The cause of its spread across the Muslim world are exactly the Ottoman conquests and the cultural exchange (3). It is coincidental that star and crescent happened to appear on the Empire's flag. It is in the Ottoman Empire that it starts to appear in banners and flags in the army, navy and also mosques (4). The reason westerners consider it a symbol of Islam are the centuries of war between Europe and the Ottomans (2). As for its adoption in the Ottoman Empire, there is a legend, according to which the founder of the empire, Uthman, dreamed of a crescent that spread from one end of the world to the other (ibid.). Regardless, the crescent was present in the insignia of the sultan Orhan's infantry (1324-1360) (4), as well as the Mamelukes during the Mongol invasion a century before that (5). The affiliating of the crescent with Islam in the eyes of Westerners happens only after 1453 (2), but I personally think that Bulgarians and Serbs that fought against the Ottomans have seen it over the enemy battalions. This conclusion is based on the fact that Orhan lived while there was still Serbia, Second Bulgarian Kingdom, and even Byzantium, with which he warred, expanding his rule. Regardless, the less detailed sources say that the Ottoman Turks adopt the star and crescent only after they conquer Constantinople...

...which is really interesting, because then, in addition to booty, they stumble upon a lot of red flags with crescents and start to consider the symbol as a good omen (6)*. The crescent with a star was a symbol of Byzantion a millennium before Mohammed became a Prophet.

The connection between this symbol and Constantine's city date from the antiquity. Bew-zanti-ON, as it is properly pronounced in Ancient Greek, saves itself from an army of Philip of Macedon (Alexander's father) in 339 BCE when it is detected at night due to the bright crescent (6). It has been a sign of the Near-eastern goddess Astarte/Ishtar, as well as the Carthaginian goddess Tanit and the Ancient Greek goddess Artemis (4), (2) and from then the crescent had spread throughout the Hellenistic world, including Byzantion. It is supposed that the city adopts the symbol in honor of Artemis/Diana (ibid.). When the Romans conquer it, the symbol remains. Other sources claim that the crescent becomes a symbol only after the Romans win a great victory over the Goths at the beginning of the lunar month. What is certain is that by the time of Constantine I the crescent was a symbol and it is Constantine who adds the star. When Byzantium is renamed Constantinople and becomes a second, christian Rome, Constantine adds the star in honor of the Virgin Mary (8). From 330 to 1453, the flag of the city is white star and crescent on a red background, much like the flag of the Turkish Republic.

The earliest usages of star and crescent at all date from thousands of years ago when people in Central Asia and Siberia use it in their worship of heavenly bodies (7). It's been used by the Chinese Zhou dynasty, Ancient Greeks, Persians and Mongols (8). The crescent has been as symbol of the Sassanid Empire and has been seen on rulers' crowns as well as minted coins (ibid.). All in all, it is incorrect to consider the star and crescent a symbol of Islam. At the very least, early Islam had no symbols whatsoever, not even on flags. That of the Umayyad Caliphate was white, the Abbasid Caliphate's was black and the Fatimid Caliphate's was green. Their hosts' banners were monochrome :) (3). Furthermore, they used a star and crescent in Western Europe even before the fall of Constantinople – this was Richard I Lionheart's emblem (6)**. In modern days it's used in the New Orleans police (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:NOPD_badge.png) since 1855; the city's nickname is 'Crescent City' according to the article.



*although this source doesn't look particularly trustworthy
**here Rafael Narbaez, the author of (6), must have gotten it right, because here (http://www.heraldsnet.org/saitou/parker/Jpglosse.htm) I can see its on the coat of arms of Richard I as well as Henry III

Sources:
(1) http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_the_red_crescent_symbol_stand_for
(2) http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?pagename=IslamOnline-English-Ask_Scholar/FatwaE/FatwaE&cid=1119503544398
(3) http://www.religionfacts.com/islam/symbols.htm
(4) http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/142628/crescent
(5) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Wadi_al-Khazandar
(6) http://www.cyberistan.org/islamic/crescent1.htm
(7) http://islam.about.com/od/history/a/crescent_moon.htm
(8) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_and_crescent