Ontario Legislature bans keffiyehs, leaving Ford and opposition alike pushing for reversal

UPDATE | The NDP put for‐ ward a unanimous consent motion Thursday at Queen's Park to have the ban reversed, but it was not adopted. Ontario's Speaker addressed the is‐ sue and said he is willing to reconsider.

The Ontario Legislature has banned the wearing of keffiyehs with its speaker saying the scarves are a "po‐ litical statement," while the premier along with opposi‐ tion leaders are calling for a reversal of the move.

In an email on Wednes‐ day, Speaker Ted Arnott said the legislature has previously restricted the wearing of clothing that is intended to make an "overt political state‐ ment" because it upholds a "standard practice of decorum."

"The Speaker cannot be aware of the meaning of every symbol or pattern but when items are drawn to my attention, there is a responsi‐ bility to respond. After exten‐ sive research, I concluded that the wearing of keffiyehs at the present time in our As‐ sembly is intended to be a political statement. So, as Speaker, I cannot authorize the wearing of keffiyehs based on our longstanding conventions," Arnott said in an email.

Arnott's email did not pro‐ vide specifics on who drew keffiyehs to his attention or when.

Keffiyehs are a commonly worn scarf among Arabs, but hold special significance to Palestinian people. They have been a frequent sight among pro-Palestinian pro‐ testers calling for an end to the violence in Gaza as the Is‐ rael-Hamas war continues.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Thursday he's hopeful Arnott will reverse the ban, but he didn't say if he would instruct his caucus to support the NDP's motion.

Ford said he's hopeful people in Ontario can contin‐ ue to live in peace.

In a statement Wednes‐ day, Ford said the decision was made by the speaker and nobody else.

"I do not support his deci‐ sion as it needlessly divides the people of our province. I call on the speaker to reverse his decision immediately," Ford said.

NDP Leader Marit Stiles told CBC Toronto Thursday she's happily surprised the premier is on her side on the issue.

"I'm hoping [Arnott] will change his mind," she said.

Stiles urged Arnott to re‐ consider the ban in an April 12 letter to the speaker, say‐ ing she considers it unac‐ ceptable. Stiles said concerns were first surfaced by mem‐ bers of her staff, however they have gained promi‐ nence after Sarah Jama, the Independent MPP for Hamil‐ ton Centre, posted on X, for‐ merly Twitter, about the ban.

Jama was removed from the NDP caucus for her social media comments on the Is‐ rael-Hamas war shortly after Oct. 7.

Jama has said she believes she was kicked out of the party because she called for a ceasefire in Gaza "too ear‐ ly" and because she called Is‐ rael an "apartheid state."

Liberals also call for re‐ versal

Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie also called for a reversal of the ban on Wednesday night.

"Here in Ontario, we are home to a diverse group of people from so many back‐ grounds. This is a time when leaders should be looking for ways to bring people togeth‐ er, not to further divide us. I urge Speaker Arnott to im‐ mediately reconsider this move to ban the keffiyeh," Crombie said.

WATCH | An explainer on the cultural significance of keffiyehs:

Stiles said MPPs have worn kilts, kirpans, vyshy‐ vankas and chubas in the leg‐ islature, saying such items of clothing not only have na‐ tional and cultural associa‐ tions, but have also been considered at times as "politi‐ cal symbols in need of sup‐ pression."

She said Indigenous and non-Indigenous members have also dressed in tradi‐ tional regalia and these items cannot be separated from their historical and political significance.

"The wearing of these im‐ portant cultural and national clothing items in our Assem‐ bly is something we should be proud of. It is part of the story of who we are as a province," she said.

"Palestinians are part of that story, and the keffiyeh is a traditional clothing item that is significant not only to them but to many members of Arab and Muslim commu‐ nities. That includes mem‐ bers of my staff who have been asked to remove their keffiyehs in order to come to work. This is unacceptable."

Stiles added that House of Commons and other provin‐ cial legislatures allow the wearing of keffiyehs in their chambers and the ban makes Ontario an "outlier."

Suppression of cultural symbols part of genocide: MPP

Jama said on X that the ban is "unsurprising" but "nonetheless concerning" in a country that has a legacy of colonialism. "Part of commit‐ ting genocide is the forceful suppression of cultural iden‐ tity and cultural symbols," she said in part.

Jama added that "state powers" have suppressed In‐ digenous cultural dress, lan‐ guage, ceremony and beliefs "as tools of genocide" at vari‐ ous points in Canada's his‐ tory.

"Seeing those in power in this country at all levels of government, from federal all the way down to school boards, aid Israel's colonial regime with these tactics in the oppression of Palestinian people proves that reconcilia‐ tion is nothing but a word when spoken by state pow‐ ers," she said.

Amira Elghawaby, Canada's Special Representa‐ tive on Combatting Islamo‐ phobia, said on X that it is "deeply ironic" on that kef‐ fiyehs were banned in the Ontario legislature on the 42nd anniversary of Canada's Charter of Rights and Free‐ doms.

"This is wrong and dan‐ gerous as we have already seen violence and exclusion impact Canadians, including Muslims of Palestinian de‐ scent, who choose to wear this traditional Palestinian clothing," Elghawaby said.

Arnott said the keffiyeh was not considered a "form of protest" in the legislature prior to statements and de‐ bates that happened in the House last fall.

"These items are not ab‐ solutes and are not judged in a vacuum," he said.

Arnott added that he re‐ minded the legislature in a statement on Feb. 22 of its standard practice of decorum, saying: "It has long been the established practice of this House that members should not use props, sig‐ nage or accessories that are intended to express a politi‐ cal message or are likely to cause disorder. This also ex‐ tends to members' attire, where logos, symbols, slo‐ gans and other political mes‐ saging are not permitted.

"This Legislature is a forum for debate, and the ex‐ pectation in the chamber is that political statements should be made during de‐ bate rather than through the use of props or symbols," he said.