A lost Red Lion and rising sun symbol

The lion is a symbol of courage, bravery, and royalty. It has featured in coat of arms of various royal families. Rising sun represents divine light, and prosperity. It has a celestial connection. Together, the lion standing before the rising sun symbolize both earthly power and heavenly blessing. This was a symbol of Red-Cross equivalent society in Iran for over 50 years, starting from 1922, till 1979.

This symbol adopted by the Lion and Sun society was in use by the royalty in Persia for centuries. In Persian tradition, the lion was often associated with kingship and heroism. Over time, it also became linked with Shia Islam, where the lion symbolized Ali ibn Abi Talib, who was known as the “Lion of God.” This connection gave the emblem a sacred dimension in addition to its royal meaning.

Red Cross movement started in Europe in 1863, and many countries established their societies. While most countries adopted “Red Cross”, Ottoman empire adopted “Red Crescent”. As Ottoman empire disintegrated after the first world war, individual countries in the middle-East adopted Red Crescent.

In 1922 when a similar society was formed in Persia (now Iran), they chose a “red lion and rising sun” symbol as a countermeasure to the Red Crescent and the Red Cross used by two of Iran’s rivals: the Ottoman Empire and the Russian Empire, respectively.

The Lion and Rising Sun emblem became especially prominent during the 18th-19th centuries. This symbol of monarchy was standardized and appeared on flags, coins, and official documents. By the middle 19th century, it had become the national emblem of Iran and remained so till the Iranian revolution of 1979.

The year 1963 was Red Cross centenary year. Six years later, 1969 was 50th Anniversary of the league of Red Cross Societies. Lion and the rising sun appeared along with cross and crescent in various postage stamps. They represented a trinity of global cooperation.

Thus Red Lion and Sun Society of Iran functioned in the same way as other Red Cross and Red Crescent societies—providing medical aid, disaster relief, and assistance during war and emergencies. It became an officially recognized emblems under the Geneva Convention.

In 1979, Iranian revolution replaced monarchy. They replaced the old emblem, and adopted a new one. So, Lion and rising sun was gone, from the national flag, as well as coins. The lion and rising sun society became Red crescent in Iran. So in 1981, when Philippines brought another red cross themed issue, three was reduced to two.

So, today there are two symbols of red cross societies. Of 191 societies, about 160 use “Red-Cross” and 30 use “Red-Crescent”. Since both of these have a religious implication (and Israel uses a Red-David star), the world appears divided.

In 2005 Red Cross proposed a third symbol – Red Crystal (Rhomboid). This was for situations and societies where both cross and crescent cannot be used. Usage of religion neutral red-crystal is yet to be seen on a postage stamp.

As regimes and ideologies change, symbols come and go. Postage stamps from the past, are a mirror of the changing world we live in. It is a harsh reality that even today disaster and war relief, is in a shadow of conflicting symbols.