Green SymbolismThe streets in Iran have been filled with green in recent days as people have worn green bracelets, headbands, scarves and waved green signs, flags, banners and ribbons.
While green has been the color of Mousavi’s campaign, now in this protest phase the green is being draped around Iranian towns and cities and beamed by computers to symbolize something greater than a political party.
Green for Change
The fresh green shoots on plants speak of newness and change. In this green movement the color is symbolizing a struggle against the stranglehold of the old regime.
The word ‘green’ is closely related to the word ‘grow’ in Old English so this color paints a vision of life, maturity and development into all the good that the Iranian nation might become.
Green for Salaam/Peace
As the ‘green movement’ strives to conserve the environment, so the green in Islam and other 'Religions of the Book’ recalls the original garden in the newly created world.
This green symbolism also appears with great lushness in the Qur’anic pictures of paradise with ‘gardens of the deepest green’ and people ‘reclining in fields of green’. Green spells regeneration, peace, fertility and prosperity (maybe this why the Americans color their money green?)
As the green bindings of the Qur’an, the domes of mosques and the green strips on the flags of many Islamic countries indicate, there is a skillful strategy in choosing this sacred color for the current movement.
Think Green
Think green in solidarity with many of the people of Iran.
Green for newness, change, life and growth.
Green for creativity, the vision of salaam, prosperity and hope.
Dr Geoff Pound
Image: Thinking Green for Iran.
