Qatar National Library – housed at Qatar Foundation’s Education City – recently hosted the Palestine Cultural Week.
Dr Yahya Zakaria al-Agha, ambassador for Cultural and Educational Affairs at the Palestinian Embassy in Qatar, and vice-chairman of the Palestinian Schools Board, explained at the event the transformation of keffiyeh as the name originated from the Iraqi city of Kufa.
Dr al-Agha said: “The Iraqi keffiyeh differs from the Palestinian in terms of its colours. The Iraqi keffiyeh has more black than white, while the Palestinian keffiyeh has more white than black. The keffiyeh reached Palestine during the British Mandate, when there were no borders or barriers between the countries.”
According to Dr al-Agha, the Palestinian keffiyeh is usually placed around the neck, or with the headband on the head. It is square in shape – 120cm x 120cm – and decorated with fringes. It is usually made of silk, cotton, or wool. The only factory that produces the Palestinian keffiyeh is in the city of Al-Khalil, in Palestine, at the Hirbawi Textile Factory.
“Some people assume that the shape of the embroidery represents the fishing net, which in turn signifies cohesion between individuals, while the lines on the other side characterise the olive leaf – a symbol of Palestinian authenticity. For Palestinians, the olive tree is a matter of life and death – it is their treasure – so this interpretation may be correct,” he said.
The Palestinian keffiyeh has been linked to the history of the country’s struggle, especially since the Arab Revolt in Palestine in 1936. According to Dr al-Agha, the Palestinian keffiyeh helped the guerrillas avoid being arrested, and protected the revolution.
According to Dral-Agha, the importance of the keffiyeh increased in 1974 when the former president of the Palestinian Authority, Yasser Arafat, addressed the world at the United Nations.
He noted: “The Palestinian keffiyeh has become an important national symbol in opposing the occupier, as well as to challenge and reject injustice, oppression, and persecution. Palestinians wear it for social and political reasons.
“The keffiyeh has also gained popularity among activists in solidarity with the Palestinians, among individuals and politicians – especially in international forums – and it has turned from being simply a head covering to a symbol of struggle and strife. It has become part of the Palestinian heritage, equal to the knitting needle used to sew the Palestinian dress.”
However, because of the national value that the Palestinian keffiyeh holds, there have been many attempts to destroy the patriotic symbolism associated with it.
Dral-Agha says: “Given the great importance of the keffiyeh, its meanings and connotations, there have been several attempts to rob the content of its symbolism. The occupiers worked to steal it – the same way they stole, and still are, the land and the heritage – by destroying its features, by changing its colours, and by relating it to the world of fashion. But all these attempts failed to undermine it and its original form.”
Given the keffiyeh's status and its symbolism of struggle, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education of the Palestinian National Authority set a national keffiyeh day to coincide with the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in November.
“The keffiyeh remains a symbol of sovereignty, identity, existence, and revolution. It is the unifying language of the Palestinian people, at home and abroad, and a symbol of revolution and struggle,” Dr al-Agha added.
Dr al-Agha said: “The Iraqi keffiyeh differs from the Palestinian in terms of its colours. The Iraqi keffiyeh has more black than white, while the Palestinian keffiyeh has more white than black. The keffiyeh reached Palestine during the British Mandate, when there were no borders or barriers between the countries.”
According to Dr al-Agha, the Palestinian keffiyeh is usually placed around the neck, or with the headband on the head. It is square in shape – 120cm x 120cm – and decorated with fringes. It is usually made of silk, cotton, or wool. The only factory that produces the Palestinian keffiyeh is in the city of Al-Khalil, in Palestine, at the Hirbawi Textile Factory.
“Some people assume that the shape of the embroidery represents the fishing net, which in turn signifies cohesion between individuals, while the lines on the other side characterise the olive leaf – a symbol of Palestinian authenticity. For Palestinians, the olive tree is a matter of life and death – it is their treasure – so this interpretation may be correct,” he said.
The Palestinian keffiyeh has been linked to the history of the country’s struggle, especially since the Arab Revolt in Palestine in 1936. According to Dr al-Agha, the Palestinian keffiyeh helped the guerrillas avoid being arrested, and protected the revolution.
According to Dral-Agha, the importance of the keffiyeh increased in 1974 when the former president of the Palestinian Authority, Yasser Arafat, addressed the world at the United Nations.
He noted: “The Palestinian keffiyeh has become an important national symbol in opposing the occupier, as well as to challenge and reject injustice, oppression, and persecution. Palestinians wear it for social and political reasons.
“The keffiyeh has also gained popularity among activists in solidarity with the Palestinians, among individuals and politicians – especially in international forums – and it has turned from being simply a head covering to a symbol of struggle and strife. It has become part of the Palestinian heritage, equal to the knitting needle used to sew the Palestinian dress.”
However, because of the national value that the Palestinian keffiyeh holds, there have been many attempts to destroy the patriotic symbolism associated with it.
Dral-Agha says: “Given the great importance of the keffiyeh, its meanings and connotations, there have been several attempts to rob the content of its symbolism. The occupiers worked to steal it – the same way they stole, and still are, the land and the heritage – by destroying its features, by changing its colours, and by relating it to the world of fashion. But all these attempts failed to undermine it and its original form.”
Given the keffiyeh's status and its symbolism of struggle, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education of the Palestinian National Authority set a national keffiyeh day to coincide with the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in November.
“The keffiyeh remains a symbol of sovereignty, identity, existence, and revolution. It is the unifying language of the Palestinian people, at home and abroad, and a symbol of revolution and struggle,” Dr al-Agha added.