The flag of Afghanistan consists of three equal vertical stripes – black on the left, red in the center, and green on the right. In the center of the red stripe is the national emblem, which consists of a mosque with a pulpit and flags on either side, beneath which are Eastern Arabic numerals for the solar year 1298 (1919 in the Gregorian calendar, the year of Afghan independence from the UK). This central image is encircled by a border consisting of sheaves of wheat on the left and right, in the upper-center is an Arabic inscription of the Shahada (the Muslim creed) below which are rays of the rising sun over the Takbir (Arabic expression meaning “God is great”), and at bottom center is a scroll bearing the name Afghanistan. Black represents the dark past of Afghanistan, red is for the blood shed for independence, and green represents hope for a bright future.