The power of wearing the keffiyeh is poignant when spreading awareness of the occupation of Palestine. Wearing the keffiyeh signifies the voice of an advocate through peaceful and non-violent resistance.
As I walk around downtown Toronto, I see these scarves wrapped around the heads and hanging off the shoulders of people who are not afraid to represent what they stand for. I have heard the shouts of youth standing with Palestine at their universities in hopes of overpowering the voices of their government. Most importantly, I have been influenced by these same people to bring light to the Palestine movement, starting with representing the keffiyeh.
The keffiyeh has been a symbol of resistance for Palestine since the 1930s. It is simply a cultural article of clothing, but it also manifests into fighting for the rights of Palestinians and is worn by activists who stand in solidarity with Palestine.
The keffiyeh movement has been on the rise since Oct. 7 as many began to show their support for innocent civilians under the occupation of Palestine.
On Oct. 16, my friends and I met a lovely woman at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). She stopped us while we were walking on campus. She was in a wheelchair and had the keffiyeh wrapped around her forehead like a bandana. She asked my friends, who also had their keffiyehs on, if they knew of any protests happening downtown. We stood there and talked for 20 minutes.
Her name is Julie Emeid, a third-year social work student at TMU. She is a Catholic-Palestinian woman.
“When I see another person on campus or even in public, in general, with the keffiyeh on, it’s kind of like we are telepathically speaking because we know the trauma we are seeing day after day on Instagram,” said Emeid.
“I feel as a social work student with a disability, I have to represent [Palestine] and educate, or else I would not be doing my job as a human being or as a social worker,” Emeid further explained.
We would never have heard Emeid’s story if my friends had not been wearing their keffiyehs. I soon realized that the keffiyeh represents unity and is a community I want to actively represent.
“You don’t need to be Arab to wear it. Right now, the keffiyeh symbolizes resilience, which leads to education. We need to educate people on what’s happening,” Emeid said.
Several universities across Ontario, including Carleton University, Western University and McMaster University, came together to announce “Kuffiyeh Week” in October. It ran from Oct. 16 to Oct. 20 and was hosted by the TMU Palestinian Culture Club (PCC).
“I know, personally, a lot of people felt unsafe wearing their keffiyeh outside, like in Yonge and Dundas coming to school, commuting, because of the stories they hear of people getting harassed,” said TMU PCC’s vice president of events, Layan Mustafa. “So, we wanted to make this as nationwide as possible to show you can wear your keffiyeh this week, show your solidarity.”
According to Mustafa, there is power in numbers. The more individuals representing Palestine, the more eyes placed on the movement.
“[What’s happening in Palestine] is not going to end anytime soon, so keffiyeh week is every week… It’s not just a one-week thing.” Mustafa said.
There is weight carried in curiosity. For that reason, wearing the scarf is an opportunity to educate others on the active genocide occurring in Palestine. The keffiyeh is a statement of solidarity for Palestinians who deserve justice after over 75 years of being restrained.