Several people forwarded me this article from AFP (thanks, all!). It details how trendy young Lebanese are donning multi-colored kufiyas, and how older Palestinians, especially in the camp, regarding the scarf's faddishness as detracting from its Palestinian national meanings. Note that the kufiya patterns in the photos (the one on the left, and go to the original here) from Beirut are not the original Palestinian Arab kufiya patterns, but more like what you'd find in Pakistan. I have no idea why.Iconic Palestinian headdress brings colourful clash to Beirut
By Rima Abushakra
Published De. 8
BEIRUT (AFP) — The iconic black and white keffiyeh, or Arab headdress, famously donned by late Palestinian president Yasser Arafat has hit the streets of Beirut in a rainbow of colours -- much to the chagrin of older Palestinians.
Stylish youngsters, both men and women, can be seen in the city's chic cafes and restaurants sporting red, blue, pink, brown and purple versions of the keffiyeh.
Western and Arab tourists are also snapping up the hip item.
The trend, however, is seen by many here as an insult to a symbol traditionally linked to the Palestinian cause.
"These colours aren't for us... it's nonsense, it's a fashion show," said Salim Ali Kayd, 74, who has been a Palestinian refugee in Lebanon since 1948, when Israel was created.
"The keffiyeh stands for a person's honour and manhood. It was a rite of passage to wear one upon reaching the age of 18," he added explaining the customs of his generation.
Others like him living in the narrow alleyways of the Shatila refugee camp on the outskirts of Beirut are also upset that their national symbol has become a fad.
"Yasser Arafat used to wear it for a reason. It means something," said Kalthoum Ghandour, a 45-year-old Palestinian doctor living in Lebanon.
"It was what the revolutionaries wore to conceal their identity," she added. "This is our revolution, our symbol.
"This trend distorts our heritage."
Shops in Beirut's diverse Christian and Muslim neighbourhoods are selling the bright-coloured items imported from Syria, Thailand and China.
A backlash against the trend has spread to college campuses in Lebanon, where Facebook groups have sprung up called "Palestinian scarf: Understand it or don't bother wearing it!" and "I refuse to let the keffiyeh become a high fashion statement".
This is not the first time the keffiyeh has been co-opted by others. The garment has come in and out of fashion, with youths in the 1960s and 1970s wearing it as a sign of revolt or sympathy with the Palestinian cause. The scarf has also become a signature item for anti-war activists.
While the latest trend may be more accessory and less ideology -- the keffiyeh's powerful symbolism continues to resonate, and not only among Palestinians.
The issue grabbed headlines in recent months when the Dunkin' Donuts chain came under fire for an online ad that featured an American celebrity chef wearing a paisley patterned scarf that some mistook for a keffiyeh
The ad was pulled after a conservative US commentator complained that it promoted jihad.
The US clothing store Urban Outfitters this year also stopped selling coloured versions of the keffiyeh because of controversy.
"They used to wear it around their necks and now they are wearing it around their waists. What's next?," said Haitham, 28, a Palestinian refugee who did not reveal his last name.
>Dana, 25, said she recently purchased a blue version of the keffiyeh and maintains that the garment carries no political symbolism.
"I used to wear the white one when I would go to protests in college," she said. "These ones are a pure fashion statement.
"I got the blue colour because my eyes are blue," added Dana, who did not want her last named used. "Nonetheless people who hate Palestinians shouldn't wear them."
Some young Palestinians, however, are proud to see the craze gather steam.
"I have about 10 of them... The keffiyeh belongs to us no matter its colour. I am happy they have become popular," said Ahmed el-Hassan, 22.
Keffiyehs are hard to come by in Lebanon's 12 Palestinian refugee camps that house an estimated 400,000 refugees. They cost on average five dollars but some high-end designers in Lebanon are selling them for over 100 dollars.
"The original one was white and black," el-Hassan said. "These might be copies but they're still called keffiyeh which represents Palestine's heritage."
3 comments:
As you probably know, these colorful kefiyyas are also all over Jerusalem and Palestine. I saw some for sale in the Old City while a young Palestinian told me he bought his in the Central bus station in Tel Aviv.
I saw many such scarves on young people in Jerusalem's Malha mall recently. On Facebook, Palestinian youth have formed groups opposing these scarves.
Paisley:
"Kashmir shawls are typically large; this one, from the late 19th century, measures two meters square (6'6" sq). Its pattern is almost liquid in appearance; the designs are produced using a 'double-interlocked' tapestry technique (see drawing) in which weft yarns of adjacent colors wrap around each other. The lozenge-like motifs are called 'boteh'; they became popular in the West as 'paisley' after they were imitated by weavers in Paisley, Scotland."
Saudi Aramco World Warps and Wefts 2009 Gregorian and Hijri Calendars: September-October.
I have black and white traditional one and a magenta and black "fashion" one. There's people from Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, Iraq, etc living around my area and no one has said anything negative about the colorful scarf. I think it's only a men's clothing item if it is worn in the traditional way on the head. Wearing around the neck makes it unisex.
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