The Palestine Scarf

Not for me!

I've never heard of people forming a political opinion about you based on a scarf. Something to consider before wearing it abroad I would imagine.

People never think about the meaning behind certain fashion "trends." I remember a boy I knew was "sagging" his pants and I told him it was stupid even though I know he got it from trends in hip-hop. He didn't realize (as I'm sure many others don't either) that the trend started in jails because inmates aren't allowed to have belts so they can't hang themselves or others. THINK PEOPLE! Didn't mean to scream, but I get frustrated sometimes...

what happened to free speech?

The keffiyeh is a traditional style of clothing. It is known in the Western world because of the problems in Palestine but that doesn't mean that *normal* people wear it all the time. Wearing one does not mean you are supporting certain political ideas. It's just a scarf. Besides, it's a brown colour, if she had really wanted to make a political statement she would have wore a black-and-white one (and there wouldn't have been anythign wrong with that).

It's jsut a scarf.

Hmmm, yeah all of a sudden loads of scenesters have started wearing these scarves and they don't know anything about it.

didn't urban outfitters sell these scarves? which is why i will never shop there again.

can you say, EW?

It's just a scarf...if she is wearing it for political reasons, that's fine, she's allowed to. If she's not, it doesn't matter; that means it's just another accessory.

I just saw a girl wearing one on the street in NY the other day and felt compelled to come back to this comment board. I think it's totally OK to wear one so long as you know the meaning of it, that's all. And it's so funny because right away, an older man saw this girl and grilled her in the middle of the sidewalk, asking her if she knew what she was wearing and what she was representing. He took great offense to her scarf (which was a red one), and she had no clue what he was talking about. It was just a fashion trend to her and nothing else. People shouldn't be too harsh, free speech and all, but still, just know what you're doing.

as an Israeli, I think wearing that scarf as a fashion statement is a little strange but not shocking. and, I must say I do not support my government's policy towards the palestinians. I definitely think they should have their own state, and that all this blood shed must stop.

So, jessicella, what exactly does wearing a "palestine scarf" mean? I used to have an Israeli roomate and we both wore them and called them pashminas.

The traditional Palestinian headdress has become a symbol of support for the Palestinian people against the Israeli occupation. That's good isn't it? People wear these without recognising its symbolic meaning, and maybe that's a good thing, so why should they be criticised? Fashion is fashion- people where animal skins etc
stop looking and judging into something that doesn't require an answer

a Palestinian friend of mine gave me one of these scarfs a couple of years ago and explained to me that they do have some political reference as to what has been going on over there, but mostly it was just a scarf. i stopped wearing it when all the hipsters and urban outfitters jumped on the bandwagon, and from a san francisco resident stand point, i kinda miss it cause it kept me really warm.

Its a beautiful scarf and i love what it stands for...even if people dont know what it means when they wear it...it brings attention to what it represents, dont underestimate ppl...most of these ppl know exactly why they are wearing it, (support for the Palestinian people against the Israeli occupation)...so leave it be...like someone said what happened to freedom of speech...GO PALESTINE!!!!

Its a beautiful scarf and i love what it stands for...even if people dont know what it means when they wear it...it brings attention to what it represents, dont underestimate ppl...most of these ppl know exactly why they are wearing it, (support for the Palestinian people against the Israeli occupation)...so leave it be...like someone said what happened to freedom of speech...GO PALESTINE!!!!

It's just a scarf; I would have never known what it stood for without you pointing it out. Sometimes we just wear stuff because we like the way ti looks and feels.

~*~ Shorty Abner (A.K.A. Shawty) Who wants to churn my butter! ~*~

ok... I never knew this site existed but I was on google and it came up. Anyways, this scarf is a Palestinian scarf that represents Palestinian Struggle. This isnt exactly the Palestinian scarf, the keffiyah which represents palestine is black and white, other Middle Eastern countries have their own patterns and colors change as well. Egypt has one, simalar to the Palesitnian one, but with a different design for example... and Jordan, has a very simalar pattern, but instead of black and white, it is red and white.
These keffiyahs you see celebs and people on the street wearing arent exactly keffiyahs that mean anything, its just a copy. Palestinians dont wear brown or hott pink keffiyahs, they have a traditional design and color, that has a truly strong powerful and important meaning for all Palestinians. And that meaning is that they are in solidarity with the struggle that Palestinians have been going through for a long time. Now this isnt a muslim thing either. Palesitnians are made up of muslims, christians, jews, athiests ect. Palestinian is a culture, not a religion. The scarf has just been shown imcorrectly by the media and people such as "osama bin laden." It has no association with any terrorist group... and many soldiers cme back from war wearing them as well...

freedom and equality for all palestinians
end the war in iraq
support our troops!<3

Hate it, that people wear this scarf as a fashion statement..... its a Muslim scarf a PALESTINIAN SCARF..... FREE PALESTINE!!!!!!!

This scarf represents nothing!!!
The Palestinian scarf is black and white!
Different colors scarfs are for different countries
and this color doesn't represent any country
Its sad how some people are filled with such hate and denial
to the point were they make something up and get mad
just because a scarf someone is wearing is similar to
a scarf that represents Palestine.
I can't believe you would randomly hate on people for following a fashion trend!!
Even if she did believe in the Palestinian cause whats wrong with that??
I thought freedom of speech works both ways!!!
Just like people have the right to support a murderous gang that calls itself the israeli state, other people have the right to support the Palestinian people who are being robbed and killed!!

Does anyone know the exact meaning/background of the pattern? I found the book The Seam Line by Israel Drori, where the pattern is depicted on the cover. Thinking of buying it, but I hope someone can tell me allready. Thanx!

I THINK THAT SCARF SHOULD GO ON EVERYBODY AND EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO WEAR IT NO ONE SHOULD TELL ANYONE WHAT TO WEAR AND I KNOW THAT IT REPRESENTS FREEDOM TO PALESTINE WELL GUESS WHAT ITS BECAUSE WE WANT FREEDOM FOR PALESTINE AND I HOPE THAT NO BODY WOULD HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT THANKS and FREE PALESTINE<3

I THINK THAT SCARF SHOULD GO ON EVERYBODY AND EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO WEAR IT NO ONE SHOULD TELL ANYONE WHAT TO WEAR AND I KNOW THAT IT REPRESENTS FREEDOM TO PALESTINE WELL GUESS WHAT ITS BECAUSE WE WANT FREEDOM FOR PALESTINE AND I HOPE THAT NO BODY WOULD HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT THANKS and FREE PALESTINE<3

haha this must be a joke. how can u write a blog- have photos and not have facts u idiot. palestine colors are black and white different colors for different countries. If your looking to get into journalism i suggest you do some much needed research u fool hahah dumbass! FREE PALESTINE

The patterns on these "arabic" scarves originated in Turkey during the Ottoman empire..and as trends go..they found themselves in the middle east..Just like all fashion trends..they travel....The website who titled them "Palestinian Scarves" are basically wrong...this is just to stir up some controversy. These scarves can be in any color, no ethnic group has a monopoly on it: re: black & white is for Palestine.. And to the Idiot Arab-phobes ...Stop being RACIST. END the Apartheid of the Palestinians, they're people, Muslim and Christian.
END the Zionist State of israel.

AND TO WHOMEVER WROTE THE OPENING COMMENT; the SCARF is NOT political!! Millions of people wear them...in Indonesia,Egypt,Jordan,.....USA,England,Mexico,Canada,...and if an Arab wears a Yankee baseball cap; he's pro USA or pro baseball?

Obviously wearing the scarf means she has chosen a side...