Since gaining independence from France in 1946, Syria has used a number of different flags, all featuring the pan-Arab colors of green, black, white, and red.

In Ba'athist Syria, this was replaced by the flag of the United Arab Republic with red, white and black tribands with either two or three green stars or charged with the national coat of arms.

[12] Alternately, it has been argued that the horizontal colors stand for the Abbasid (black), Umayyad (white) and Fatimid (green) Caliphates and the red triangle to the Hashemite dynasty.

[19] The flag was used as a symbol for the desire for autonomy, for Syrians to rally around when France reneged on its agreement to leave the country, due to the outbreak of World War II.

[25] It was based on the Arab Liberation Flag of the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, which used four pan-Arab colours—black, green, white, and red—representing the Abbasid, Fatimid, Umayyad, and Hashemite dynasties.

The process failed after the Iraqi Ba'athist government was overthrown in November 1963 but both Syria and Iraq did adopt a new flag to represent the union.

[29] President Hafez al-Assad adopted a new flag on 1 January 1972, as Syria joined Egypt and Libya in the Federation of Arab Republics.

The first paragraph of the Article states: The flag of the Syrian Arab Republic consists of four colours: red, white and black, with two green stars, of five angles each.

This flag, featuring green, white, and black horizontal stripes with three red stars, was originally used by Syria following its independence from French mandate rule in 1946.

Al Barazi’s efforts[33] aimed to symbolize a return to Syria’s democratic roots and to unify opposition against the ruling regime.

The “Independence flag” has since been widely adopted by various opposition groups and protesters, both within Syria and among the diaspora, representing aspirations for freedom and democratic governance.

Al Barazi’s early advocacy[35] in Canada and in Washington played a significant role in reintroducing this historic emblem to the forefront of the Syrian opposition movement.

Khaled Kamal, an official from the Syrian National Council, now believes this flag to also represent independence and the end of Bashar al-Assad's government.

[40] The transitional government additionally displayed a Tawhid flag depicting the Shahada in black on a white field at its first meeting,[41] which led to criticism for its association with Sunni extremist groups such as the Taliban.