Speaker Ted Arnott of Ontario’s legislature “is standing by a ruling that bans people in the building from wearing keffiyehs, which he says are being worn to make a political statement, even after the premier and all opposition parties asked him to reverse it.”
Arnott is absolutely correct and is acting judiciously in his position of authority.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford, however, states:
“It really comes down to uniting Ontarians and communities…We see the division right now that’s going on. It’s not healthy, and this will just divide the community even more.”
Where’s the “unity” with keffiyeh wearers, except among those who support what the garment represents — i.e., the Palestinian resistance from the (Jordan) River to the (Mediterranean) Sea?
It was Yasser Arafat, leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization, who popularized the keffiyeh. Arafat was mentored by the infamous Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin al-Husseini, who worked with Hitler during the Holocaust to murder the Jews.
Reuters reported the truth about the keffiyeh that Ford ignores. It:
has become an emblem of solidarity with the Palestinian cause as war rages between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza. It has also become a problem for those wearing it.
Supporters of Israel see the chequered scarf as a provocation and a sign of backing for what they see as terrorism.
Thousands of people have worn keffiyehs in huge protests in Britain and elsewhere in support of the Palestinians and calling for a ceasefire in the conflict.
Since October 7, the keffiyeh has taken on a particularly aggressive meaning, symbolizing unity with jihad terrorists who have vowed to destroy the State of Israel.
For this reason, Germany and France have “cautioned, fined or detained people wearing it,” while Ontario’s premier obscenely calls it a “uniting of communities.”
Ford thinks that banning the Palestinian terrorism symbol “will just divide the community even more.” He couldn’t be more wrong.
Banning it would send the message to pro-Hamas activists that the Ontario legislature will not tolerate anti-Jewish, pro-terror paraphernalia. Banning it would be a step toward restoring unity, peace and support for the rule of law. The Palestinian jihad against Israel’s existence has no place in the Western world.
Ali Deilami states in The Times of Israel:
In all Iranian elementary schools, children are introduced to keffiyehs before they finish learning the alphabet. It’s part of the Islamic regime’s ideological education to make students wear keffiyehs on various occasions such as demonstrations, choir groups, visits by inspectors, etc. Thus, for Iranians, the keffiyeh became a well-known and iconic symbol of those who support the Islamic Republic and its ideas.
Doug Ford needs to be educated, particularly in light of the fact that he wears the Conservative banner.
“Ontario legislature bans wearing of keffiyehs; Ford calls for reversal,” Canadian Press, April 19, 2024:
The Speaker of Ontario’s legislature is standing by a ruling that bans people in the building from wearing keffiyehs, which he says are being worn to make a political statement, even after the premier and all opposition parties asked him to reverse it.
The legislature has a long-standing rule that members can’t use props, signage or accessories intended to express a political statement, and Speaker Ted Arnott said after “extensive research” he has concluded that keffiyehs meet that definition.
“It’s extremely politically sensitive, obviously, but procedurally I believe I made the right decision in the sense of past rulings of speakers and precedents and traditions,” Arnott said Thursday after question period.
“In my opinion, having done the research, it appeared to me that the keffiyeh is being worn to make a political statement.”
A keffiyeh is a checkered scarf typically worn in Arab cultures that has come to symbolize solidarity with Palestinians.
Members of provincial parliament often ask special permission to wear an item that may break the rules, such as ribbons for a particular cause’s awareness day, and they do that by seeking unanimous consent of the legislature….
Kevin says
The Zionist political propaganda is all BS. Noting but distortion and lies
Edward A.Brandwein says
Bullshit
Kevin says
Spencer puts everything in the same jar. He is delusional and self absorbded. F him
Tatanka says
Why don’t you go back to your sand dunes where you belong camel f#cker
I AM THE INFIDEL YOUR ALLAH WARNED YOU ABOUT says
You’re either paid by muslims or being humped by them or both.
James Lincoln says
Kevin,
Your post says absolutely nothing – it is merely an unexplained personal attack against Robert Spencer.
Bull Herman says
What’s your real name?
Did you attend uni of bachi-basi?
Canada under PMS Justine Trudump has gone woke and is morally broke.
This is what liberal education produces.
Tatanka says
Deport these bloody muslims. They don’t belong in a western Christian society ,they’re nothing but trouble in the short and long run.
I AM THE INFIDEL YOUR ALLAH WARNED YOU ABOUT says
Doug Ford is a muslim arse licker. Keffiyehs are not part of Canada’s or the Wests national dress. If you go and look at the history of keffiyehs, they are actually Iraqi in origin that the so called palestinians sole and now claim ast their own just like they stole the Jordanian flag and removed the star and claimed the falg as theirs.
Long story short… keffiyehs have no place in Canadian politics, Ontario’s Legislature, Canadian Parliament, City Council etc.
somehistory says
I’m surprised he didn’t say it’s *religious descrimination.*
So many of those rioters on college and university campuses are wearing them across their faces, they really look like a terror flag, much like the terror flag isis displays.
And the simple definition of terrorism is the use of violence and threats of violence against the populace/citizenry to cause a government to change policy.
The scarf then, which has come to mean solidarity with hamas, is a form of terrorism.
Major Tom says
The PLO kaffiyeh has one purpose…….to shine my shoes………