The Red Cross emblem is the Swiss Flag with the colors reversed. Therefore it communicates neutrality rather than a Christian Cross. However in some places it was necessary to change it in order to kowtow to the local beliefs. Going the extra mile to do good. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.
This stamp is meant to honor the Jordanian Red Crescent Society. To my thinking, it does not do a very good job. The presence of King Hussein on the stamp, he wasn’t on all Jordanian stamps, seems to be him taking credit for the work done by the Society. Also notice that this is not a semi postal issue with a contribution to the Society. In this third world context, another example of come do for us what we are too lazy to do ourselves.
Todays stamp is issue A42, a 2 Fils stamp issued by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan on December 24th, 1963. It was a six stamp issue in various denominations honoring 100 years since the Red Cross founding. Adding to my cynical view of the stamp, there is a version meant for the international collector fixing the problems I describe above with the Red Cross substituted for the Red Crescent and the King’s portrait removed. Still no surcharge to contribute though. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 30 cents unused.
Henry Dunant was a Swiss businessman who operated a trading house with operations in Switzerland and Algeria. He was Protestant Christian who was part of the Reveil Swiss reawakening going on then. Troubles with the colonial authorities in Algeria saw Durant travel to Italy to seek an audience with Napoleon III. He found Napoleon III during the aftermath of the Battle of Soiferino were France and Sardinia had fought Austria. 40,000 men on both sides lay dead or wounded on the field in the aftermath of the battle and the sight of the carnage deeply moved Dunant. He thought if there was a neutral army of nurses and doctors to come in and move freely among the wounded, many lives could be saved and much suffering alleviated. He believed that once a soldier was wounded, his part of the fighting was over and he should be treated by all with Christian dignity and compassion. Dunant wrote a book describing what he saw at the battle and how he proposed to fix it. He published the book at his own expense and sent copies to leaders around Europe. The Society was founded in 1863, but Dunant was shortly pushed out by the organization when his trading house went bankrupt. Discredited, he lived in obscurity and poverty in Paris until stories were later written that remembered his contribution. His reputation was fully restored when he shared the first Nobel Peace Prize in 1901.
In 1876, Red Cross volunteers were trying to help casualties on all sides of fighting between Russians and the Ottoman Empire. In order for the Ottomans to accept the help, the volunteers came up with a new emblem, the Red Crescent , which was a color reversal of the Ottoman instead of the Swiss Flag. Long after there are no more Ottomans, the Red Cross has operated in Muslim countries under the Red Crescent. Interestingly, when they first helped after an earthquake in Japan, a non Christian country, no offence was taken in regard to the emblem. They were just glad for the help.
Two other nations required a separate emblem for the local Red Cross Society. In Shah era Iran, a color reversal of the Iranian Red Lion and Sun Emblem was recognized by the Swiss agency for activities in Iran. In 1980, Iran reverted to the Red Crescent. In Israel, the Magen David Adom Society operated with a red Star of David emblem in a manner similar to the Red Cross but with more Israeli government involvement. They were denied membership until 2006 in the Red Cross when they agreed to a separate but not Star of David emblem. This organization was started much later.
Well my drink is empty and I will pour another to toast Henry Dunant. His bankruptcy haunted him the rest of his life but at least in his last years he got some recognition for all he accomplished. Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting.