In the small Palestinian shop Al Quds on Grünerløkka in Oslo, general manager Marte Kirkevold Flatejord stands and points to some pegs on the wall. – Various Palestinian scarves used to hang here. But we are completely sold out. And the scarves have been sold out for a long time. In February, they were forced to set up a waiting list because the demand was so great. – The waiting list for black and white scarves is around 1,200 people now. Since there are so many, we have had to stop the waiting list, she says. In the Palestinian shop Al Quds, customers come in daily asking for Palestinian scarves, but here they have been sold out for a long time (from left, Marte Kirkevold Flatejord and Emeline Pischedda). Photo: Linda Marie Vedeler / news Every day customers come in and ask for Palestinian scarves. When they received a large delivery of the scarves this winter, there was a queue down the entire street outside the store. The factory that produces the Palestinian scarves is located in Hebron in the West Bank. Due to high international demand, they are unable to deliver more than 100-150 scarves at a time to the Oslo store. There was a queue down the entire street when the store Al Quds received new Palestinian scarves this winter. Photo: Marte Kirkevold Flatejord / Private Who is it that comes and buys Palestinian scarves? – There are all kinds of people. They are of all ages, all ethnicities and from all environments, says shop employee Emeline Pischedda. Both Marte and Emeline do not believe that customers buy Palestinian scarves just because it is trendy. – We have the impression that those who want a scarf buy it to show support for Palestine. You understand that there is a commitment behind it that makes them want the scarf, says Marte. Many Palestinian scarves used to hang on the pegs on the wall. Now they must be filled with other goods. Photo: Linda Marie Vedeler / news Fashion with meaning Big international celebrities have recently also been pictured wearing Palestinian scarves. The closest example was seen during the Cannes film festival in May. Fashion manager at KK magazine, Ida Elise Eide Einarsdóttir, explains: – Then we saw supermodel Bella Hadid pictured with a dress that was inspired by the Palestinian headscarf. And she is half Palestinian, so the international fashion press claims that she honored her Palestinian roots by wearing that dress. The head of fashion in KK, Ida Elise Eide Einarsdóttir, believes that you will see more Palestinian scarves in the fashion scene in the future. Photo: Linda Marie Vedeler / news And Hadid was not the only one in Cannes who used the film festival as a platform to promote a political message. On the red carpet, actress Amy Argyle appears in a blue gala dress with a Palestinian scarf over her shoulder. – If you see fashion in a larger context, as something more than just clothes, then you can say that fashion is power and clothes are communication. And fashion’s task is to reflect the present. Fashion and politics certainly go hand in hand, says Einarsdóttir. Actress Amy Argyle with a Palestinian headscarf on the red carpet during the Cannes Film Festival. Photo: Reuters She goes on to highlight when the Palestinian headscarf became a global trend in the 2000s. Then you could see it both on the catwalk, on celebrities and as street fashion around the world. – Many probably used the scarf then primarily as a fashion accessory, without necessarily having a political purpose. But I don’t think it’s quite like that anymore today, she says. – So I think you have to be careful not to commercialize it too much. And there I think there can be a potentially big backlash, especially for brands and designers, and to that extent also individuals, if it is used in the wrong context. Facts about the Palestinian headscarf The Palestinian headscarf, or kefije, is a traditional Arab headdress. Most often associated with the political left and the Palestinian freedom struggle. The younger, urban population of the Middle East and Turkey began to wear it around their necks. The traditional scarf is woven in black and white or solid white and is mainly used by men. It is also woven in red and white. The headdress gained status as a national symbol for the Palestinians in the 1930s when a popular uprising against the British mandate in Palestine took place. The scarf became a world-famous symbol of Palestine’s liberation struggle in the 1960s when the leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Yasir Arafat, wore it. Reference: Store norske lexikon Welcome support We meet Rabee Irar outside the Storting. He stands there with a red and white Palestinian scarf neatly draped around his neck. He is Palestinian himself and works as a filmmaker. He can confirm that he keeps seeing more people appearing with Palestinian scarves around the cityscape in Oslo. And he greatly appreciates the increasing use. – I think that it is very positive in the midst of these dark times. It warms the heart to see that so many people support us Palestinians. People use it to promote a message, and it makes us feel seen and heard, he says. Rabee Irar explains that it is common for men in the Middle East to wear the Palestinian headscarf over their shoulders, while it is more modern to wear it around the neck. Photo: Linda Marie Vedeler / news He believes that anyone can wear a Palestinian scarf and that it has become a symbol of solidarity. At the same time, he hopes that those who wear the scarf use it to show support. – I hope that people are informed about what they are wearing. It’s a bit tragic if you don’t know what the scarf means. Published 20.06.2024, at 14.08
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Over 1,200 on the waiting list. – news Culture and entertainment
