What Does Red & White Keffiyeh Symbolize?

The keffiyeh also known as shemaghs are traditional headscarves used by Arabs in Middle East countries. It is mainly used to keep you away from dust and sand storms in arid regions and climates, as a protection of sun heat and many other things. They come mostly in check and square patterns.

Keffiyehs come in range of color combinations. Colors of shemaghs often represent different political and ethical association and affiliation. Plain black keffiyehs are commonly used in Gulf States. Others come in black and white keffiyehs which represent as a symbol of Palestinian nationalism and freedom struggle. The red and white keffiyehs are representation of Hamas. Red and white keffiyehs are also used by Jordanian President made it symbol of Jordan as well. Red and white Jordanian style keffiyehs are popular among people affilieated with Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine). The rest of people elsewhere in world other than Palestine who wear red and white keffiyeh just wear it as a fashion statement.

According to Widad kawar who is Amman-based collector of Palestinian outfits, the famous black and white keffiyehs were used by Arabs earlier than British Mandate. As far as red and white keffiyehs are concerned, they became known of military requirement instead of just political sentiments and affiliations. The first red and white keffiyehs were originated from Manchester. They were being ordered for Jordanian army. They wanted red and white as they wanted their army to be distinctive and distinguishable. People started liking it. So it was then not only being used for military or army purpose but for general purpose as a whole. Countries like Iraq, Saudi Arab and Syria also adopted red and white keffiyehs. As the red and white keffiyehs origin can be traced back to military and armed forces headscarves, but it is also noticeable that they took a new political importance in 1970’s battle between Palestine and Jordan in Jordanian Capital i.e. Amman. The author of War of Words “ Yasser Suleiman” wrote that the fight between the red and white Jordanian keffiyehs and black and white Palestinian keffiyeh gained popularity after some Jordanian university students wore the red and white keffiyehs as their Jordanian identity and as anti- Palestinian identifications. So after that, Palestinians who used to wear red and white keffiyehs stopped wearing that. But the red and white keffiyehs became common in Palestine again after some years.

Whether it is red and white keffiyehs or any other color combination, they are being worn by people in all over the world irrespective of political or military association. They are now more than a fashion statement but not to forget, many critics still find red and white keffiyehs as identification of militants’ headscarf but the western fashion personnel don’t take this criticism and controversy about keffiyehs much in consideration. They just take it as a chic and a unique fashionable piece of cloth.

----------------------------