"Flags with lion and sun emblem" by marjoleincc is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Saskatoon’s Governance and Priorities Committee has voted to uphold a previous decision to not raise a historical national flag of Iran outside of City Hall.  

Back in February, the Saskatoon Iranian Cultural Association requested Administration to raise the historical Lion and Sun flag of Iran in solidarity with the Iranian victims of war. That request was denied, as it went against the City’s rule against flying the flags of other countries. 

SICA then appealed the decision, noting the flag is not a current flag of a nation, but a historical one symbolizing bravery, strength and light. This appeal brought the matter before Governance and Priorities Committee members on Wednesday, many of whom believe raising the flag would set a precedent that could get messy in the future. Councilor Davies was one of those members. 

“We can see their perspective on it without seeing the ramifications of what those actions that we take on one item for several others that can come forward and really put us in a bind and (see us) backtracking, and that’s something I don’t want to get into with this council or administration.”

Mayor Cynthia Block also weighed in. 

 “The reality is that our city does not have the expertise or mandate to evaluate complex international conflicts or decide which global issues to weigh in on. If we began doing that, we would quickly be placed in the position of choosing between communities that live here.”

Councilor Davies proposed a motion that the City’s original decision be upheld, and it was approved unanimously.