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Islamic Salvation Front (Political party, Algeria, 1989-1992)

Front islamique du Salut (FIS)

by Jorge Candeias

Flag of the FIS
Other flags used by Islamists in 1991

See also:

Flag of the FIS

In 1989, the process of creating multiparty democracy began and opposition political forces were legalized. In the free municipal elections of 1990, the FLN, FIS, Communist Party, Social Democratic Party, and Union for Culture and Democracy competed, although Ben Bella's Movement for Democracy in Algeria and Ait-Ahmed's Front of Socialist Forces abstained.

The FIS was declared illegal in January 1992 and its partisans fled en masse to the mountains, with the most radical element beginning its activities as the GIA (Groupes armés islamiques, Armed Islamic Groups) and the more moderate acting under the name MAI (Mouvement armé islamique, Armed Islamic Movement).

Jaume Ollé, 24 December 2001, translated from Spanish by Joe McMillan

The upper and lower inscriptions on the flag are unreadable, but the main inscription is the movement name in Arabic.

Dov Gutterman, 12 May 1999

Other flags used by Islamists in 1991

by Jaume Ollé

In 1991 a new electoral system that purportedly favored the FLN brought about street protests by the Islamists, using the national flag with the inscription Allah is greater (communication from J.L. Cepero, 23 March 1999, accompanying a photo in which an edging in the letters can be seen, probably from having been sewn onto a national flag.)

Jaume Ollé, 24 December 2001, translated from Spanish by Joe McMillan

by Jaume Ollé

A flag in the national colors of green and white was also used, with the inscription in red of the same meaning as that above. (same communication)

Jaume Ollé, 24 December 2001, translated from Spanish by Joe McMillan