Supermarket staff wearing a keffiyeh

[Alpaccas]

I saw a member of staff wearing a keffiyeh today in Sainsbury’s. Do you think it’s a bit too political for a member of staff to be wearing, whilst wearing their work uniform?

Again, the keffiyeh is not a religious symbol. It’s not a Muslim symbol.

It is a Palestinian national symbol.

And it’s certainly not just Muslim people who wear it - spend a day in Brighton and you’ll see plenty of white lefties of all ages for whom it’s the accessory of the moment.

IMO
you can always leave shop if you don’t like what you see.

Don’t even need to be correct, see keffiyah, don’t like it, leave. Write to customer service.

Same as some person seeing your rainbow hair, cross or transjester attire - they don’t like it & they leave.

dont need to give you money where you are not happy

Can you please explain how it made a difference to your shopping experience today ? Then maybe I can understand why you have a problem.

How do you know it wasn’t cultural? I have a white-passing blonde Palestinian friend.

Hope you never set foot in a Wetherspoons, or own a Dyson vacuum, get your keys cut at Timpson's, eat Warburton's bread, or watch a Cameron Mackintosh musical in that case.

You don’t seem to know much about what the keffiyeh actually is.

It has nothing to do with Islam. It is a Palestinian national symbol - not a religious one. Many Palestinians are Muslim. Many Palestinians are Christian. The keffiyeh is a symbol used by all Palestinians, regardless of religion.

And as a national symbol, it by definition has political implications, particularly when adopted by people who are not part of that national group. Strolling around Brighton today, I saw quite a few white, non-Muslim people of all ages - clearly on the left-leaning side of the political spectrum - wearing it. They wear it as a political signal - it makes their views clear.

And Jewish people who watched their relatives being murdered by fanatic militants with that political symbol tied round their foreheads have every right to interpret it differently than you do.

Christmas jumpers/antlers/sparkly jewellery are not National symbols and have no political implications. If a terrorist group had brutally murdered 1000+ people while clad in Christmas jumpers, you might have a point.

Go back to sleep 😴

The kuffiyeh is not 'Muslim' or Islamic, it is Arab, and worn across Arabic nations. An important distinction for non-Muslim Arabs.

And i'd personally smile and often engage positive!y with anyone wearing a kuffiyeh, whether on the bus or at Sainsbury. As pp said, it's a symbol of the person's humanity.

How do you tell who's left leaning politically just by looking at them?

That's quite a skill.

It's not the "Palestinian national symbol".

"The keffiyeh or kufiyyeh (Arabic: كُوفِيَّة, romanized: kūfiyya, lit. 'coif'),[1] also known in Arabic as a hattah (حَطَّة, ḥaṭṭa), is a traditional headdress worn by men from parts of the Middle East. It is fashioned from a square scarf, and is usually made of cotton.[2] The keffiyeh is commonly found in arid regions, as it provides protection from sunburn, dust, and sand. The regional variations are called ghutrah and shemagh. A head cord, agal, is often used by Arabs to keep the ghutrah in place.[3]".

I never said it was religious, but it is associated with Islamic celebrations because Islam and Middle Eastern culture are closely intertwined. People are wearing them more frequently currently because it's Ramadan, in the same way that I wear a Christmas jumper pretty much every day in December. Which is also not a religious item, but when I wear it, people know it's because I'm celebrating Christmas - not once has anyone assumed it's because I'm making a "political statement" (not sure what that would be about - maybe Western nationalism or something).

The only reason people are assuming it's something sinister is because it's Muslims wearing it. There's absolutely no way you or the OP would be starting and AIBU on December complaining that Craig from Asda was wearing a Santa hat at work.

Not at all unreasonable, why would it bother you? I wouldn't even have noticed but I'm a Londoner so am used to all sorts of traditional and religious dress. A Keffiyeh is generally more cultural though there are some middle eastern traditions in which it also has religious significance.

Just accept it, it's not your business at all what people wear to work as long as they are hygienic if food handling.

Rather than posting on Mumsnet you would be better writing to the store manager and head office and ask their policy on uniform.

@VioletVX I’m guessing you’ve never been to Jordan…

Corrections: worn by Arabic people beyond Palestine. It is a symbol of pride in the Arab identity, and has also since the occupation of palestine, become a symbol of oppressive powers, resistance and freedom.

Many Arabs present as 'white' so please check yourself and your racial profiling (and colourism).

No I don’t. I don’t really understand why it would bother you?

I’d also assume that they’d been given permission to wear it.

If a terrorist group had carried out a pogrom murdering over 1000 Jews in a single day while clad in Santa hats, I definitely would!

I’m not Jewish, but I do not trust anybody who pretends not to understand why seeing a worker in their local supermarket wearing that symbol would be intimidating to Jewish customers.

I don't at all mind individuals having them on their house and such, though I find it a little performative. But if I had a business I'd not really want the employees to be wearing them on their clothing, or Russian flags, or things associated specifically with the state of Israel, or Palestine, or any other political controversy that my customers might have strong feelings about. Or that other employees might have strong feelings about.

People have every right to support the causes they want and also advocate for them publicly, but not necessarily in the workplace.

I know a Brighton-dwelling, allotment-tending white leftie when I see one - it’s the same demographic that throws orange paint over historic paintings or blocks the M25 in the name of Just Stop Oil. There aren’t too many Cressidas and Phoebes of Palestinian descent.

Have you ever been to Brighton?

Really wouldn’t bother me in the slightest. Infact, I wouldn’t even give it a second thought.

• Traditionally worn by Palestinian peasants and bedouins to protect from the sun

funnily enough, I dont think there was much need for one today in UK! @Alpaccas

I can't believe how petty some people are.

I'd also say - the meaning of symbols like this can vary and change. The fact is that right now, there are quite a few people, particularly young lefty women, but also some men, are wearing it as a political symbol. That doesn't mean everyone who wears it has that in mind, but it is a thing and it's usually pretty easy to spot.

It's kind of an unfortunate thing for those who have a real cultural connection.

I voted YABU.

A keffiyeh can be from many different Middle Eastern countries and is just a cultural garment. If you are associating it with terrorism then that's your lack of education there.

I was wearing one in the late 80s in my supermarket job, because the store rooms were freezing, and they were for sale for about a pound.