By For centuries, the Palestinian scarf, or keffiyeh in Arabic, has always been held as a sacred symbol of Palestinian culture and ethnic identity. The scarf stands as a reminder for all Palestinian citizens of their past glory and the hope for a better future. But now, in addition to doing absolutely nothing as innocent civilians get ruthlessly destroyed by their supposed “guests,” an American company by the name of Semitic Swag has began to sell a clothing line of similar scarfs with an Israeli flag imprinted as the design. As if completely obliterating Palestinian homes wasn’t enough.
At first glance, this adoption may not seem to hold much significance. It’s just another company exercising their rights to mass produce and generate profits, right? And as for all those Israelis who are appropriating the symbol — oh let’s just pardon them too, because “wearing a keffiyeh – especially one with blue embroidered Stars of David – is just as much their right as anyone else’s.”
As this trend quickly catches on amongst the poor ignorant folks of our world, slowly but steadily, Zionists are succeeding in their quest to remove the existence of the Palestinian people. So what do they do with a widely known symbol of that very nation? They claim it as theirs. It’s as simple as that. It was part of the Israeli nation all along folks.
A symbol which has held so much importance to a nation has now become a fashion statement that has swept across North America and Europe. This scarf, which comes in multiple color schemes and variations, has had a major impact in Western culture and fashion trends. People are now unaware that the keffiyeh originated in the Middle East to cover the face and eyes from sandstorms and dust in the scorching heat and sun of the desert. As resistance builds from all sides in the Palestinian quest for simple self defense, the scarf has evolved into a Palestinian national symbol in its fight for independence.
But now, by appropriating such a widely known symbol of the Palestinian people, this company is further marginalizing an entire group of people and erasing their presence on the globe. Via the guise of a trendy scarf, America is further fueling the fire of hate by denying the very symbol that has been the fabric of an entire nation. We may claim that such are the results of globalism that should be encouraged, but we must also acknowledge the implications of such ignorance. Allowing such acts to go unchallenged and disregarded is to further sweep Palestinians under the carpet of neoliberalistic agendas.
The keffiyeh has always been a part of Palestine, and always will be. Let’s once again stand in solidarity with the truth and put an end to the beginning of attempts to remove the existence of an entire nation. That ain’t happening on our watch.
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