The keffiyeh serves a functional purpose as it protects against the elements in the arid climate. It is widely used in the Middle East as well as in Africa. Let us not forget that even British and American troops wear the keffiyeh to protect against the sun and sand in Iraq and Afghanistan.

It is incredibly offensive to disregard the cultural significance of an item while assigning superficial interpretations such as “all terrorists wear keffiyeh, so keffiyeh are terrorist symbols”. This is a silly and offensive game we play.

As we become an increasingly global community it is imperative that we take into account each other’s stories seeking to understand culturally specific elements and not simply relying on the most “obvious”, easy or convenient interpretation(s) of meaning.

Wearing a keffiyeh is not an endorsement of terrorism nor does it imply solidarity with the PLO.

It is time that we stop falling into the stereotyping trap. Reducing the rich cultural heritage of those around us to simplistic stereotyping is never acceptable and will always lead to righteous criticism.

do you know the history of this particular item and its prominence? what it stands for symbolically? doesn’t sound like it…ironically it’s sort of a neck scarf favored by people who like to detach the head at the neck…with large knives

here’s some more attire that might more aptly share the ideology with the ’scarf’