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How the keffiyeh – a practical garment used for protection against the desert sun – became a symbol of Palestinian identity

A scholar of immigrant communities and religious minorities in Europe shares the history that shaped the keffiyeh’s origins and its transformation as a symbol of Palestinian cultural and national identity.

Two people use a Palestinian keffiyeh to show their support during a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Washington on Nov. 4, 2023. AP Photo/Amanda Andrade-Rhoades

After Israel declared war on Hamas following the militant group’s surprise attack on Oct. 7, 2023, and hostilities resumed in the region, some Palestinians have been urging non-Palestinians to wear the keffiyeh, a distinctive checkered scarf, during protests.

Indeed, several Palestinian diaspora communities and their allies across the globe have taken to wearing the keffiyeh as a mark of solidarity. Last week, three Palestinian students...

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