How did this happen you wonder? It all goes back to 1990s when it was cool to be politically active and every other teenage know-it-all attended their first protest about an issue they could careless about or didn’t know anything about. Raise your fist for equality, liberty, and the ever-popular Darfur issue. But Palestine was excluded; it was unable to coexist with our foreign interests and deemed un-cool by most “globally aware” hipster cliques (if they could be called that). Now it’s a different story.

Its understandable that the post 9/11 world is a much different place. At one point people didn’t even know where Afghanistan was or that Saddam Hussain was the leader Iraq let alone what the infamous acronym WMD stood for.

Somehow the Middle East has morphed into what Trotsky was to the Stalin Era. (For those who don’t know this is an allusion to a scapegoat) Yes, there is enough ignorance to go around for seconds. It was hard enough for an Afghan describe to their Anglo-Saxon comrades that they are not guerilla warriors, radicals, or have a special urge to fight the soviet specter of atheism and yes Afghanistan is indeed a country and no, its not in the south of France. But now, since the Iraq War became the new muse, the Arabic community must deal with repercussions.

Case in point, the Keffiyah. As has been reported on earlier this symbol of solidarity of the Palestinian cause and Arab nationalism has turned into a water-down mass-produced consumer good quickly dawned by the idealistic or more likely unaware youth. But if this wasn’t enough, Palestine in general is now “couture”. Marketing the Keffiyah became too safe, the fashion industry demands “more shock value and controversy”. Enter the T-shirts by local Fresh Jive clothing company based in Los Angeles, California. First of all is the “Victimized” shirt depicting a freedom fighter and a small stamp of the Palestinian flag. Okay, they are in support of a free and peaceful Palestine. Wrong. They want to “market” the sad struggle of a disenfranchised people for Americans consumerist pleasure.

Secondly, Yasser Arafat, its just that, an Arafat shirt. Most intellectuals would agree Arafat’s role in the PLO and in Palestinian politics in general were a key part in raising the voices of the Palestinian’s to the ears of most first world countries. Many conclude the man is an icon, a freedom fighter, and a nationalist. To haphazardly stamp his face on a shirt to sell at a convenient $19.00 takes away from almost everything he had fought for as the population who would be most inclined to by this shirt often couldn’t point to Palestine on a map let alone know who Arafat was. 

Yes folks, corporate American has done it again. They have successfully conquered the youth’s newfound obsession with International Affairs (a popular major in most universities) by exploiting Middle Eastern icons and leaders. Who knows what’s next? Soon every 16 through 29 year old will be sporting (the Great) Ahmed Shah Massoud’s pakol. This new kind of nostalgia for the east, is now with the Middle East. Coming soon to a store near you.

Check out the shirts on Karma Loop: www.karmaloop.com

As the world turns and consumerism rises, most national icons conveniently lose their meaning and become the coveted objects of consumption for your convenience. You, yes you to are guilty of falling into these brightly colored traps. Take for instance the Ernesto ‘che’ Guevara shirts. You know them; you wore them and raised your fist to the sky accompanied with the screech of “viva la revolution!!!” in idealistic days and maybe still do. The problem with this “pop culture” icon is that through its mass production and consumption, the initial meaning of the image and everything it stood for is lost amid the clearance racks of Hot Topic and other such “trendy” store. It’s the sad reality for most revolutionary or national icons that become the muse of an era. Everything they stand for is lost, all that remains is a skeleton of emptiness as the façade of couture veils fires of change in favor of the running waters of conformity. This unhappy story does not end with the iconic “death” of a revolutionary, it starts again but this time the merchant’s hands move towards a more powerful symbol of nationalism and solidarity, the keffiyah.    

Keffiyah, shemagh, desert scarf, and Arab scarf are names that all denote the same iconic symbol of Middle Eastern nationalism. The story of the keffiyah is as old as the sands of the Maghreb. Worn by Bedouin (desert nomads) men in the early years it became a necessary object for all purpose protection in harsh Saharan climates as it proved useful in protecting the eyes, face, and mouth. Traditionally it is made of cotton and wool, which make it light but durable. The keffiyah itself is a large square piece of cloth usually plain white but with variations that include sewn patterns as seen today. The word keffiyah comes from the Arabic word of kufa or al-kufa, which translates, to the rough equivalent of hand napkin. Usually it is only worn by men and is often folded into a triangle with the angal (the black string) placed on top to hold it in position. There are many variations in wearing a keffiyah traditionally, which includes a wrap for the face, a drape on the head, and even the famous ninja mask (if your in a sand storm of course!). It has always represented honor and national identification. Even in some areas the length of the string hanging from the ends of the scarf denote wealth and respectability if they are a certain length. But overall, its history is very Middle Eastern as it is a symbol of its people.Variations are common, not all keffiyahs are white, not all birds are blue; different colors denote nationality and even a certain cause. All white all over denotes gulf countries like Kuwait and Iraq. The red keffiyah represents the country of Jordan, were it is a symbol of Arab (male) nationalism. The black and white keffiyah is popular is Syria and most Middle Eastern countries. The black keffiyah, is most commonly associated with Palestine and the Palestinian Liberation Orginizaion, or PLO, where it was made famous by PLO leader Yasser Arafat. This variation usually represents the “free Palestine” or liberation movement within the Palestinian state and population. It’s also associated as a symbol of nationalism and resistance elsewhere. The pattern traditionally associated with the keffiyah is a bit different with this variation. As rumor has it the country of Palestine can be seen in the patterns. (In understanding the Palestinain keffiyah popularized by Arafat, it should be noted that his trademake scarf is actually more closely associated to his Fateh party and not as much to the militant PLO factions in the middle east in general, but western assumptions usually group them all, faction or not, into one great stereotype, so take it or leave it.) The colors tell a story, a story that was lost once the scarf hit the shelves of your local Urban Outfitters.Apparently a once proud symbol of nationalism and solidarity has turned into the next big trend. The keffiyah was not immune to the “che shirt” effect as every 12 to 23 year old saved up their allowance to buy a shiny new keffiyah from their local bazaar in scenic Manchester or Munich. The first wave of popularity rose sometime around the First Intifada when political activism was still cool and Palestinian solidarity was not just wishful thinking. This soon died out with only a few still clinging to their scarve. The second wave occurred in early to mid 2000 were the trend took off in Europe, especially in the underground and with the ‘hipsters’. Soon, it started to spread around the world as even Israeli girls and boys proudly showed off their black and white badge of fashiondom. Then, as the cool train started to come to an end it parked itself here, right smack in the red-blooded, independent, don’t-tread-on-me United States. Its popularity seems to have taken root with the underground and scenester groups but now even some celebrities don the keffiyah every now and then, as the famous Brad Pitt scarf moment goes: “I didn’t wear it, someone threw it on me!”. Alas, the glory that is Hollywood.