Saskatoon rejects flying former Iranian flag outside city hall

A flag meant to support people living under an oppressive regime will not be flying outside city hall. Keenan Sorokan reports.

A flag meant to support people living under an oppressive regime will not be flying outside city hall.

During a committee meeting on Wednesday, councillors upheld administration’s decision to reject flying the Lion and Sun flag, historically used by Iran until the Islamic Revolution in 1979.

“I understand and respect the intent behind the bylaw, but I want to make the case that this specific request is different and that the bylaw as currently applied goes further than it intends to,” Pooyan Arab, the executive director of the Saskatoon Iranian Cultural Association, said.

The city received a request from the Saskatoon Iranian Cultural Association in February to fly the Lion and Sun flag on March 21 to commemorate the Persian New Year. The city denied the request two days later, citing changes made to its protocol policy in the fall, which now restricts flying flags of other countries.

“We have interpreted this to be a flag of Iran and a flag of another country. And as such, administratively, under the protocol policy, we have denied the flag raising,” city clerk Adam Tittemore said.

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Arab didn’t understand the reasoning, given the flags meaning to Iranians now, and its not being attached to any country for 47 years.

“Applying a bylaw about flying national flags to a symbol that no nation currently flies is an overreach of the intended purpose of the bylaw,” he said. “We’re not asking to fly the flag of another government, we’re asking to fly the flag of a people.”

The city changed its flag raising policy in September after people came to council and voiced disappointment with the city over flying the Vietnamese flag, saying they fled the country’s oppressive government.

Civic Square has seven flag poles with permanent spots given to the Canadian flag, Saskatchewan flag, Métis Nation flag and the Treaty 6 Territory flag. The remaining flag poles rotate based on requests.

“This isn’t about dismissing anyone’s experience. It’s about ensuring the city remains a place where everyone feels they belong. The reality is that our city does not have the expertise or mandate to evaluate complex international conflicts or decide which global issues we should weigh in on,” Mayor Cynthia Block said about backing administration’s denial.