E. Mark Windle 18 October 2025 (photography: Mandy Farrar)
Sumūd (Arabic, noun: steadfastness, perseverance)
Among the uncertainties that laid ahead for the Global Sumud Flotilla as it sailed towards Gaza recently, there was one known—that its effect on holding the world’s focus on Gaza hasn’t gone unnoticed. Uninformed, or biased armchair critics may have fired their predictable comments about the flotilla as futile saviourism. But another side of society views this non-violent civilian campaign as a genuine international display of empathy; a necessary response in light of government inertia (and in some cases, complicity) to events in Gaza. The flood of support from social media and press reports alluded to that, as have the turn-outs at the ports, or the despatch of naval vessels from more supportive countries to provide ‘surveillance and recovery assistance’.
Media attention also cemented that sense of solidarity, by broadcasting scenes of the vessels preparing to set sail from various ports across Europe and North Africa. A common theme in those images, in addition to crowds bearing Palestinian flags, has been the sight of the keffiyeh: that universally recognised symbol of resistance and resilience.
AN ARAB TRADITION
Depending on the region (or design), you might hear the traditional Arab scarf / headdress referred to by other names. Maybe the hattah, the ghutrah or shemagh. Its original purpose was purely functional. Some say the nomadic Bedouin from the Arabian Peninsula and modern-day Iraq were first to wear it as protection from the sun and desert sand. Indeed, the word kuffiyeh appears to have been derived from the city of Kufa, situated south of Baghdad. Farmers and villagers of Arab lands east of Egypt also adopted the scarf, requiring similar shielding from the dust that blows on the Levant’s largely arid landscape, or to double as a shoulder wrap in cool evenings or during winter.
PALESTINIAN IDENTITY
Over a relatively recent period of time in world history terms—pretty much in the last 100 years—this simple accessory has established itself as a symbol of solidarity, a fashion statement, and an icon of Arab culture. The Arab Revolt of the mid-1930s seems to mark the point where the keffiyeh‘s role extended from a practical one to a proud representation of Palestinian identity, and demand for an end to occupation.
Prior to the Revolt, keffiyeh-wearing was confined primarily to rural fellahin. Wealthier communities had the tarbush, or fez, as their status symbol. But soon Arab rebel leaders were encouraging all Palestinians to adopt the distinct black and white-patterned kuffiyeh that the world instantly recognises today, with its fishnet motif signifying an association with the sea, bold lines referencing trade routes, and curved shapes for olive trees or ears of corn. As a symbol of sumud, the importance of wearing the keffiyeh came to the fore when Israel prohibited public displays of the Palestinian flag in occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip in 1967. That flag ban was only revoked in 1993—to be reinstated once again in 2023 by Itamar Ben-Gvir, Minister of National Security.
(Mandy Farrar)
WESTERN CONSCIOUSNESS AND POLARISATION
There have been many public figures who have worn the keffiyeh. Nelson Mandela, Fidel Castro, PLO leader Yasser Arafat are obvious examples, and without a doubt, these individuals brought the scarf to the attention of the wider world. Considering the political spheres these individuals moved in, the keffiyeh also tends to divide opinion on what it represents. For some international observers, it’s an instantly recognisable display of unity and self-determination, lending itself perfectly to various movements that campaign against social injustice or oppression. Others associate it with darker connotations— radicalism, terrorism, and AK-47s.
These days, society is polarised. The plight of the people of Gaza has brought about global focus, empathy and solidarity. At the same time, the far-right are now given very visible public platforms on domestic issues of race and immigration. Western paranoia bred via these fronts and by biased or state-controlled media has reinforced racist sentiment. We now have increases in hate crime, unprovoked verbal attacks, destruction of property, and violence. In 2023, three college students in Burlington, Vermont were shot on their way to a family dinner, for no determinable reason other than speaking Arabic—and wearing keffiyehs.
THE QUICK BUCK
Hints were about in the 1970s and 1980s that the keffiyeh could become an international fashion accessory as it became adopted initially by youth subculture. Then European fashion houses like Balenciaga, Isabel Marant and Louis Vuitton introduced it to the catwalks, perhaps in admiration for the aesthetic rather than an industry desire to make a political statement.
Ultimately, the scarf and its design filtered down to the high street. China was the first to grab the opportunity for mass production, using a cheaper cotton and polyester blend as opposed to traditional 100% cotton fabric. To this day East Asia continues to be a major exporter to the west and (ironically) to the Arab nations. From a Palestinian perspective, the combination of outside competition plus Israeli tensions has drastically threatened the domestic capacity for keffiyeh production. In 2000, there were 120 textile factories in the West Bank. Within a year of China entering the market, most of these were forced to close.
These days only one commercial Palestinian manufacturer operates in Israeli-occupied West Bank. At its most productive, the Hirbawi family business had a turnover of 750 scarves per day. In 2010, with only two looms operating, 300 keffiyehs were made weekly. That number has increased dramatically in recent years, though frustratingly Hirbawi is unable to meet demand. Most of what is made sells in the West Bank, with a smaller percentage reaching neighbouring Arab countries and Europe.
Whenever fashion co-opts ethnic or traditional clothing and designs, the question of appropriation inevitably comes up. The patterned keffiyeh is now firmly established as a marketable commodity, along with Free Palestine mugs, Gaza-shaped pendant necklaces, watermelon T-shirts and keffiyeh pattern inspired skirts, blouses and cardigans. There will always be drop-shippers and entrepreneurs ready to cash in. Some will also argue—rightly—that despite its association, the print is not an exclusively Palestinian tradition. But I firmly disagree with writer Ellie Violet Bramley’s comment in her Guardian article, The Keffiyeh: Symbol of Palestinian Struggle Falls Victim to Fashion, that keffiyeh print has shifted from ‘activist chic’ to ‘straight-up chic’. There’s a much bigger picture here.
STATEMENT OF GLOBAL SOLIDARITY
World sales of the keffiyeh have not diluted its symbolic importance. Many wearers who are not Palestinian, or even Arab, consider it as visible affirmation of their commitment to support the oppressed or under-represented: that empathy and concern for others (including communities other than their own) still exist even in today’s society.
Purchases support the Palestinian cause in very practical ways too. Sales of scarves and derivative clothing, like those sold by the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, fund resources required for media campaigns, lobbying government, and organising human rights rallies. The fashion outlet Wear the Peace, whose two founders are descendants of refugees, provided 200,000 USD directly to Gaza since last November through profits from their “Palestine Collections” range. Through ethical sourcing, a range of international fashion retailers provide vital links that help Palestinian businesses like Hirbawi to survive.
There has also been an unprecedented demand for the keffiyeh since Israel’s offensive on Gaza. It’s no coincidence that within two months of the escalation in conflict since 7 October 2023, online sales of keffiyehs and traditional Palestinian clothing increased by 330% according to the data analyst company Jungle Scout. Surely, further evidence of the world’s compassion and support for the people of Palestine.
Author bio: E. Mark Windle is a freelance writer and author with interests in human rights and international culture. He has also worked on multiple biographical projects as a senior writer for Story Terrace (London, UK), and as a ghostwriter with Sheridan Hill / Real Life Stories LLC (North Carolina, USA).