www.thestar.com/living/article/433754
AddThis May 30, 2008 04:30 AM Mafaz Al-Suwaidan Special to the star The scarf once seen covering the faces of stone-throwing boys, wrapping the bodies of bullet-pierced babies and shading the creased napes of olive farmers now makes an appearance on the mannequins of Toronto and the outfits of the rich and fabulous of New York. And an item of clothing resembling that scarf, called a kaffiyeh, forced Dunkin' Donuts to pull an ad this week featuring celebrity chef Rachael Ray. Ray wore a black and white scarf in the ad, promoting Dunkin' Donuts' iced coffee. Critics said the scarf offered symbolic support for Muslim extremism, The Associated Press reports. The controversial kaffiyeh, also known as the hatta or the shemagh, is a cloth about 54 inches squared. Commonly seen on the heads of men in the Middle East, the kaffiyeh was historically used simply as protection from the scorching sun. "The kaffiyeh is a visual extension of our struggle, a way to be a thorn in the silence," says Ahmad Habib, Iraqi refugee and a member of the Arab Cultural Resistance music group. "Everywhere, from the Arab world to Toronto, people dress up to paint the world with conformity and indifference. The transition of the kaffiyeh from the Middle Eastern version of a baseball cap to a symbol of solidarity came with the occupation of Palestinian land. The kaffiyeh became a symbol of national identity for Palestinians. From the '60s on, Palestine Liberation Organization officials and members, such Yasser Arafat, wore the kaffiyeh everywhere they went. International coverage of the first intifada often showed pictures of Palestinian civilians throwing stones with kaffiyehs around their faces or necks. But afterward, the kaffiyeh was popular only amongst activists and Palestinian refugees. During the second intifada in 2000, sympathy for Palestinians began to grow and the kaffiyeh became a way of displaying solidarity. "Ideally, I want everyone to wear the kaffiyeh," says Habib, "but if it's just worn for the aesthetic value, without the spirit of resistance wrapped up in every thread, then they might as well not wear it at all, and if it becomes appropriated by commercial interests, then that's even worse." In the window of a downtown Toronto branch of Le Chteau stands a mannequin wearing the latest spring fashions and a kaffiyeh around its neck. According to one salesperson, "They are selling really well. Asked whether he knew what the kaffiyeh stands for, he said, "No idea." Other major retailers that sell the kaffiyeh include Urban Outfitters and H&M. "It bothers me a lot to see the kaffiyeh go mainstream because now when you see someone wearing it, you don't know if they're wearing it for that reason, or just because it's a fashion," says University of Toronto student Jameela Jaber, a Palestinian. "When I watch the news and see a dead Palestinian being carried to his grave, you see him wrapped with a Palestinian flag and kaffiyeh. The kaffiyeh has emerged as a symbol of resistance against oppression worldwide. "At a time when Iraq is occupied in the most violent way, the kaffiyeh, or shemagh as it is known in Iraq, carries the pride and dignity of my people and the sweet smell of Iraqi soil," says Habib. "I wear Baghdad around my neck, just like I carry it in my heart." The transition of the kaffiyeh from a symbol of resistance to a fashion fad is not the first of its kind. Witness Che Guevara shirts once worn as a symbol of revolution. Today such shirts are sold for $15 to people who don't know who the Cuban revolutionary was. In 2002, Brazilian political cartoonist Carlos Latuff introduced a drawing of Che Guevara with a kaffiyeh wrapped around his head. This image was popular amongst pro-Palestinian activists, but did not go mainstream. Probably because it clearly calls for revolution in Palestine, and a call like that is one that neither H&M nor Urban Outfitters et al would like to include in their spring collection. Mafaz Al-Suwaidan, 20, is a Kuwaiti citizen studying journalism at Ryerson University. Accustomed to seeing the scarf used as a political symbol, she was taken by its use as a fashion statement in Toronto and decided to investigate.
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