The Cross, The Crescent, The Crystal and The Lion

When the participating nations at the Geneva Convention of 1864 adopted the RED CROSS symbol to protect military ambulances and medical personnel in time of war, there was no religious significance intended. It was a basic design which would instantly be recognisable and could be easily made from strips of cloth and painted onto buildings and vehicles.During the next decade the symbol began to appear in wars across Christian Europe to identify medical teams. In 1876 war broke out between Turkey and the Balkan states of Montenegro, Serbia and Romania.

This Cross had a totally different significance for the Islamic world, for when Christian soldiers captured Jerusalem during the first Crusade (1099), the last hours of the battle were extremely vicious, and it was said that the blood of the conquered Islamic soldiers ran down the streets, splashing the victors as they rode through it. Crusaders wore on their tunics the Red Cross, and it was no wonder that the Turks could not accept this symbol for humanitarian aid. Remembering their history, Turkish troops attacked the medical teams. "Far from serving as a protection against the destructive fury which seems to impell the Turks, this symbol particularly inflames their anger," stated the Serbian Foreign Minister. Turkish soldiers were reported to be killing Red Cross volunteers and then removing their armbands and slashing them to pieces.

After the war, the new Turkish government announced that it would respect the Red Cross sign on enemy ambulances in agreement with the Geneva convention, but it would use a Red Crescent on a white background for its own ambulances. The Ottoman Society for the relief to Military Wounded and Sick was formed in Constantinople (Istanbul) and the Islamic world adopted the Red Crescent. A conference held in 1929 revised the Convention and accepted the emblem as having equal standing to the Red Cross in identifying medical services. There are two other symbols that may be used for medical agencies identification. Israel uses the Red Crystal, this represents " Magden David Adom", Hebrew for the Red shield of David. Prior to 2005 and Protocol III of the Geneva Convention it had no standing, Protocol III also recognized the Red Lion and the Sun a symbol that has fallen into disuse, but Iran has reserved the right to take it up again at any time, and therefore although not used is still valid.