What to know about the Ontario legislature’s keffiyeh ban

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An NDP motion to allow keffiyehs to be worn in the Ontario Legislature has failed, after a vote that needed unanimous approval received at least one dissenting vote.

The issue began earlier this week when Ted Arnott, the Speaker in the legislature, made it clear that keffiyehs would not be permitted to be worn within the legislative building. Backlash from many provincial politicians followed, including the Premier and the leaders of both the Liberal and New Democratic parties.

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But Arnott stood by the ban, saying Thursday: “I made the right decision in the sense of past rulings of speakers and precedents and traditions…In my opinion, having done the research, it appeared to me that the keffiyeh is being worn to make a political statement.”

With the vote having been taken, the ban remains in place, at least for now.

Here’s what to know about what happened.

What is a keffiyeh?

A keffiyeh (pronounced keh-FEE’-yeh) is a black-and-white checkered scarf typically worn in Arab cultures. It has come to symbolize solidarity with Palestinians, but its ubiquity in anti-Israel protests since Hamas’s Oct. 7 attacks has made it a divisive symbol for many of Israel’s supporters.

Why did Ontario legislature ban wearing it?

Arnott said this week that the provincial body has long tried to restrict any clothing that makes an overtly political statement. He said he believes that, at this time, the keffiyeh meets that definition.

Who was against the ban?

All the major party leaders lined up against it. On Wednesday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the decision was Arnott’s alone and would divide the people of Ontario. He called for it to be rescinded. In a brief statement he noted: “I do not support his decision as it needlessly divides the people of our province. I call on the speaker to reverse his decision immediately.”

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Opposition NDP Leader Marit Stiles had written to Arnott about the issue on April 12, noting: “It has come to my attention that legislative security has recently begun prohibiting the wearing of keffiyehs in the legislative precinct by Members, staff and the public. I want to express my disappointment in this development and urge you to reconsider the directive.”

She pointed out that MPPs have worn kilts, kirpans, vyshyvankas and chubas in the Legislature, adding: “Each have, at times, been banned or considered as political symbols in need of suppression.”  She added: “The wearing of these important cultural and national clothing items in our assembly is something we should be proud of,” she wrote.

And Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie also called on the Speaker to reverse the ban, saying: “It is part of the story of who we are as a province. 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 communities.”

Who is in favour of the ban?

B’nai Brith Canada, the country’s oldest independent Jewish human rights organization, issued a statement commending Arnott’s original decision. It said the keffiyeh’s “innocuous origins as a cultural symbol have been corrupted by radicals. It has become a divisive symbol that is used to incite.” And it called for other legislatures and the House of Commons in Ottawa to enact similar bans.

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To that end, Arif Virani, the federal justice minister, tweeted out in support of the ban: “Our institutions should reflect Canada’s diversity. The keffiyah is an important cultural symbol that should be welcomed in all Canadian institutions.”

But this was countered by Ontario Conservative MPP Lisa MacLeod, who reminded Virani of the recent debacle in which a former Nazi soldier was celebrated in the House of Commons. She tweeted back: “Maybe get your House in order before you start telling us how to run ours?”

MacLeod also released a statement in support of the ban. “Speaker Arnott is the longest serving MPP in the legislature and has spent three decades upholding the rules and procedures of the House,” she said. “As the longest serving woman at Queen’s Park I support his ruling because it keeps with tradition and reminds members to keep our debates focused on words rather than on political props.” She added: “Arnott chose parliamentary convention over political weather (vanes).”

How did the vote go?

Stiles put forward a motion on Thursday for unanimous consent to acknowledge the keffiyeh is a culturally significant clothing item in Palestinian, Muslim and Arab communities, “and should neither be considered an expression of a political message nor an accessory likely to cause disorder,” and should be allowed in the house.

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However, on a voice vote at least one Conservative MPP said no according to news reports.

Arnott had earlier said that while he made his decision “after considerable research and reflection,” he would reverse it if it was the will of the house.

With files from the Canadian Press

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