Talk:Keffiyeh/Archive 1

Revert
Reverted edit by 212.2.174.96 to remove the following:


 * The significance of the Keffiyeh, as worn by Arafat, was symbolic of his view that the entire area of the State of Israel (from the river to the sea) should become a state called Palestine. The way in which it was worn, draped over his right shoulder in the shape of the map of Israel, made it unnecessary for him to actually vocalise this. This became especially important as he engaged in (supposed) peace talks."

Reasons: (1) a long way from NPOV! (2) seems pretty fanciful and unsubstantiated - is it actually known that Arafat intended to send any such message through his clothing?; (3) lifted from web sources so unreliable they refer to the wrong shoulder (though 212.2.174.96 corrected left to right); (4) probably more relevant to Arafat than keffiyeh. Harry 22:00, 20 Dec 2004 (UTC)

Actually, I do remember someone pointing it out in a news report a long time ago. So there's something to it (although it could just be someone's interpreattion).

--Havermayer 03:48, 31 Jan 2005 (UTC)

This to me sounds awfully silly. Yes, there are illustrations of Arafat with his keffiyeh shaped into Israel plus the territories. However, lacking any actual evidence of this having been Arafat's intent, this is just inflammatory POV.

If one wishes to investigate the symbolism of the keffiyeh, I believe that it would be best to explore the symbolism of its color, rather than the shape. If I am not mistaken, the keffiyeh in Arab society is that the black-and-white one is considered a "commoner's" keffiyeh, as opposed to the red-and-white version which is the "royal" keffiyeh. In the Palestinian context, the black-and-white keffiyeh was adopted as a national symbol because of Fatah/PLO's identification with Nasser's populism, in contrast to the aristocracy and monarchy of Jordan (where red keffiyehs are much more common). --Daniel 06:34, August 28, 2005 (UTC)


 * I've looked for symbolism of color in Iraq, and as far as I have seen, the only colors usually worn are red-and-white checker and black-and-white checker, and those are worn by all classes of Iraqis. I can't recall having seen any of the solid white keffiyeh, but it seems like a lot of sheikh-looking gentlemen prefer red-checker whereas workers wear black-checker more often. So, if the black is "commoner's" color and red is "royal", I doubt it's a distinction that holds a whole lot of weight here. Also, other white-and-color checker variations exist, but mostly in gift shops on bases for American GIs. Cyprein 12:56, 23 March 2007 (UTC)

Honest to goodness, folks, I lived in the Middle East for almost a decade and never heard any of this "symbolism." They have been red and/or black for umpteen generations, and I think it is just a matter of personal preference. It IS, however, or at least was, a symbol of Palestinian nationalism when worn in that context, true. Amity150 03:31, 27 May 2007 (UTC)

Different spellings?
Some people call it like kaffiyeh, others kuffiyeh its wierd


 * The word is كوفية, which I would transliterate as kūfīyä. However, there are a few different pronunciations and spellings of this word. --Gareth Hughes 15:09, 19 October 2005 (UTC)


 * I made a bunch of redirects for various transliterated spellings (e.g., Kuffiyah) and for synonyms (such as smagh) so that they lead here. Here is a list of the current re-directs. I ask that folks who speak Arabic check them out, and make sure that they're not actually totally different words:


 * Ghutra
 * Kaffiya
 * Kaffiyah
 * Kaffiye
 * Kaffiyeh
 * Kafieh
 * Keffiya
 * Keffeyah
 * Keffiyah
 * Kefiyeh
 * Kuffiya
 * Kuffiyah
 * Kuffiyeh
 * Kufiyah
 * Kufiyeh
 * Kufiyyeh
 * Kufiya
 * Shmagh
 * Smagh


 * My thanks in advance. --Daniel 23:10, 26 October 2005 (UTC)

Photos
The article mentions keffiyeh being worn by western troops. A picture of that would be helpful but I can't find one online that isn't copyrighted. Does anyone know of one that would be suitable? hdstubbs Oct. 25, 2005


 * While it may not be much of a lead, perhaps one of the American military's sites have a few public-domain photos? --Daniel 23:12, 26 October 2005 (UTC)


 * I'm a Marine coming home from Iraq soon, I've got a few pictures of me and my buddies in them, in the "muj wrap" method. I'll upload them when I get back to the states. 23 March 2007 —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 80.76.243.196 (talk) 11:55, 23 March 2007 (UTC).

HAMAS Color
Is anyone sure that the color of the keffiyeh is symbolic within HAMAS? I have seen multiple photos of HAMAS activists with both black and red keffiyehs, including Rantissi, and I cannot find one of any HAMAS militant wearing a green one. HAMAS seems to favor ski masks with green headbands. That being said, PFLP and DFLP seem to perfer red to anything else. Descendall 07:38, 4 December 2005 (UTC)


 * I can't be too sure about keffiyeh color being too important within Hamas. In Palestine, the black-and-white keffiyeh is a symbol of Palestinian nationalism in general; green is the color of Hamas in particular. The predominance of the black-and-white keffiyeh (even among Hamas) is a testament to the hegemonic position of PLO-Fatah and Arafat. The green-and-white keffiyeh may then be thought of as a "hybrid" symbol - a way for Hamas to state both their Islamist and Palestinian nationalist credentials. But as you hint, the headband is the defining symbol of Hamas.


 * On the headbands of which you speak, they are (to my knowledge) a mostly Islamist phenomenon that took hold as Islamist Hezbollah came to be viewed as the force that defeated the Israeli and U.S. forces in Lebanon in the 80s (contemporary to the First Intifada and the emergence of Hamas as an independent force).


 * As for the red-and-white keffiyeh, it's likely that Rantissi (and others in Hamas) may get them through their many travels (both voluntary and involuntary) throughout the Arab Middle East (Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, etc.) That said, I wouldn't categorize this as a symbol of Hamas.


 * As for the ski-masks, I am not quite sure you can count that as a symbol of Hamas, as it's probably true that all armed militant groups (including the rival Fatah loyalist Tanzim and Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade) wear them for utilitarian purposes, i.e., not getting one's face photographed for some intelligence dossier, that goes well beyond the Palestinian-Israeli conflict (as can be illustrated by the wearing of ski-masks by both the Republican and Loyalist forces in Northern Ireland) --Daniel 20:31, 4 December 2005 (UTC)


 * The colour of a keffiyeh does have meaning, but it is essentially a personal choice. The black-and-white keffiyeh often symbolizes Palestinian nationalism, and often specifically suggests links to Yasser Arafat. However, it need not mean any of these things: a Syrian farmer might wear it because he prefers the colour. A HAMAS leader might choose not to wear black-and-white because it is so symbolic of Arafat. As green is the predominant colour of Sunni Islam, it might be used in a keffiyeh to suggest a more religious viewpoint. However, I beleive that this fashion is relatively new. --Gareth Hughes 13:59, 5 December 2005 (UTC)


 * I believe in addition to what is written in the article about either RED or BLACK is that the White and Red is Arabian and the White and Black is Palestinian . Maybe this can be added into the article? Robert C Prenic (talk) 10:53, 16 May 2008 (UTC)

Isn't it incorrect to say that the red and white keffiyeh was historically belonging to the PFLP, being that it still symbolizes them? Green is more commonly associated with Hamas, and red with PFLP. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.189.133.20 (talk) 21:02, 22 May 2009 (UTC)

Use without political significance
The article states that westerners "who may be disinterested in either politics or the military" wear the keffiyeh and that in "the United States, the black-and-white keffiyeh has become a youth fashion accessory... with little symbolic value." Is this actually true? I think that the vast, vast majority of westerners who wear the keffiyeh do so out of solidarity with the Palestinians or the Iraqis. It would certainly be odd for someone who is apethtic, or a Zionist, to don a keffiyeh. Descendall 07:50, 4 December 2005 (UTC)


 * It may be "odd" but I have indeed seen this phenomenon here in NYC (see the Village Voice article in the external links section), especially as hipsters have taken to living in/partying in Brooklyn, where there's also a fair amount of importers trading in Arab arts and crafts. I'm sure that it's probably a wider phenomenon, as with the examples given by Garzo of Germany and other European nations can attest.


 * I am a young male living in the southern united states and wear one around my neck for practical purposes only while working outside in cold weather. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 199.209.144.218 (talk) 18:46, 6 December 2010 (UTC)


 * It's important also to remember that it's the black-and-white keffiyeh that is typically associated with Palestine and the Intifada. There are many other styles that I've seen being sold - gold-and-black ones, for instance - that people simply buy because they're fashionable multi-culti chic, and have less of an associations with Palestine (or the Arab Middle East for that matter).


 * This would be far from the first cultural appropriation that went from political-to-apolitical. Just think of dreadlocks - they went from being a sign of Rastafarianism's pan-Africanist bent, to being associated with Bob Marley-era reggae, to a sign of Sepultura's embrace of their "roots", to becoming a favored hairstyle within (the mostly white and suburban) American metal scene. Who today thinks that Jonathan Davis is going back to Africa?


 * As odd as the apolitical wearing of keffiyeh may be, don't you think that it's even odder that American soldiers are wearing it? Even if it's a half-hearted effort to win over the Iraqi population by "going native"?


 * Or to put it more succinctly: fashion is weird. --Daniel 20:32, 4 December 2005 (UTC)


 * The source for this information was de:Kufiya (sv:Palestinasjal applies all sorts of odd activist colour coding). I think the wearing of the keffiyeh as a scarf is more common in northern Europe than elsewhere, and it has become a youth fashion. This doesn't mean to say that it is worn without political sentiment, but that it has become fashion driven. I believe the use of the keffiyeh was adopted by British soldiers due to its practicality and adaptability rather than for any political statement. I also believe that British units had been using it long before either attacks on Iraq, and it was only subsequently adopted by US soldiers. --Gareth Hughes 14:21, 5 December 2005 (UTC)


 * When it comes to Sweden, the only Western place I have extensive keffiyeh experience with, I very much agree with you Gareth. There is no mistake that the wearing of the keffiyeh is fashion-driven, they can be seen more or less everywhere and are frequently sold at markets, festivals and in some cases ordinary clothing stores. To a certain extent it is just pure a-political fashion using political symbols, but in my experience - and I think for once that I dare say that more or less every Swede will agree with me - it denotes a political connection. This connection is not necessarily primarily some form of solidarity with the Palestinians, it can also denote some general or specific form of "radicalism", such as anarchism, radicalfeminism, veganism, etc. In other words, it is a fashion-item, but it is a fashion-item with very strong political values, and it would be surprising to see for example a strong Christian Democrat wearing the keffiyeh even if she does very strongly soldaridise with the Palestinians. I think this political division has slowly been easing up a bit over the years, but it is still very firmly a primarily radical political symbol. --kissekatt 06:33, 20 December 2005 (UTC)


 * I would agree that the wearing of a Keffiyeh in the west is at the very least semi-political. It tends not to have been less of a fashion item but a symbol of solidarity with the intifada.  Even if it is just a fashion item for some it has political roots. Euand 15:56, 4 November 2006 (UTC)


 * I've seen lots of young non-Arabs wearing the black and white and red and white keffiyeh. Obviously, I can't be sure of the politics of complete strangers, but many of them are pretty ordinary commuters who don't seem to be political activists. I think it's just another fad. 80.43.99.7 16:04, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

I'v worn many of these as scarf. They are big colourfull and of natural material, they also suit against identification through fotographs at some moments. I'm pretty well aware for other people they appear political. And i don't dislike that, but the real reason i always wore them is they are just the most comfortable scarf regularly available, especially outside.(it is not in the article that they are the most common scarf of any kind on many markets)another interesting detail is how the war on terror was the first thing to influence the retail of these scarfs.. but after some searching they proved still available on the dutch market.77.248.56.242 10:00, 27 May 2007 (UTC)


 * Ah, in Britain their are thousands of teenagers (wearing skin tight trousers like this guy pretty much (from this article), slanted cut fringes with masses of hair on top (what style or statment is this????)) wearing the Keffiyeh around their necks. They havn't got a clue about the Palestinian struggle, they wear it as something called a 'Rock Scarf' - I declare that everytime I see one I will speak to them about it. Its crazy in Britain, everywhere, even in small villages - these people have no clue. Is it just these types of teenagers (as described above) in Britain or is this all over. Also, what style is that that they dress?


 * Are Hipsters what I am seeing everyday? Robert C Prenic 19:13, 18 September 2007 (UTC)

From Kufiyya

 * Copied from Kufiyya article (now a redirect to this article)

A kufiyya is a square head scarf worn by men in many parts of the Middle East, often adorned with a red and white, or black and white checked pattern.

It is also popular among sections of the anti-war and Anti-globalization movements often being seen on demonstrations. In this context it is worn to express solidarity with the palestinians involved in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

--JK the unwise 10:22, 24 February 2006 (UTC)

Not a symbole of Palestinian Nationalism in the 30's.
Someone has written that the scarf was used as a symbole of palestinian nationalism in the 1930's. This is total bogus. There were no susch thing back den. The arabs refused to call themselfs arabs, it was a SIONIST invention! They considered themselfs, South-Syrians. It was after 1967 taht they invented a national identity to get support from the rrst of the world, and as stupid and naive as we liberal westeners are, we believed in them... /Carolus


 * Oh dear - I see you haven't read many Palestinian newspapers from the 1920's, then. If you're interested in learning a bit of the real story, Palestinian would be a good article to read (if it hasn't degenerated into some edit war since.) - Mustafaa 13:50, 4 March 2006 (UTC)


 * Unfortunately, it has. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 69.207.165.116 (talk) 21:14, 19 March 2007 (UTC).

Uhhhh....there was for certain Palestinian nationalism from roughly the same time Nationalism as an idea came to the Middle East and spread among the people there. This came about before and during WW1. As to the claim Palestinian nationalism didn't exist in the 1930s or that Palestinians saw themselves as Syrians, one can simply look to the Palestinian Folk Anthem, Mawtini. "My homeland. Royalty and beauty, wonder and glory are in your hills. Life and salvation, pleasure and hope are in your sky." That was written by Ibrahim Tokan, a Palestinian poet, in the 30s. Seems like he had some sort of feeling as a Palestinian. Certainly he wasn't running around in a herd with other Palestinians hoping Europeans would show up and teach them about fire, the way Zionist propagandists would have folks believe. Shia1 18:13, 27 May 2007 (UTC)

The newspaper Filastin, which began publication in 1911 regularly referred to Palestine as a territorial entity and to its readership as "Palestinians." (A competing paper, al-Karmil, was pro-Ottoman.) According to Prof. Charles Smith of the University of Arizona, Filastin stressed local nationalism as opposed to Ottoman allegiance. Charles D. Smith, Palestine and the Arab-Israeli Conflict (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1988), p. 36. Accordingly, Palestinian nationalism dates back at least that far.Gharlane (talk) 19:26, 26 January 2011 (UTC)

Missing text
''It is a square of cloth, usually cotton, folded and wrapped in various styles around the head. its has a "keffiyeh" and it's a white skullcap under the Hat itself, and the fold worn across the forehead.'' [sic]

Anyone able to sort this out? Flapdragon 12:50, 8 March 2006 (UTC)

Arabian Hat
"Arabian Hat"?????? Is this not nonsense? None of the links talk about "Arabian Hats", Ammar shaker changed the lable on the link to the daily star article so that it refered to an Arabin hat but if you look at the article it is titled "Arafat immortalized keffiyeh as symbol of Palestine". I have moved it back to Keffiyeh. --JK the unwise 15:49, 8 March 2006 (UTC)

hello sir, im Arab and i see the Topic is talkin about the Hat it self which is called "Ghutra" not "Keffiyeh" , and the Keffiyeh thing is a small white skullcap under the hat it self , thank you. --Ammar shaker 66:88, 9 March 2006 (UTC)


 * In some places, especially Saudi and Bahrain, it is called ghutra, and the skullcap is called kufiya. However, in most other Arab countries, a skullcap is not worn, and the cloth is itself called kufiya. As this is the most common name, it is the name of the article. The English word hat is not used to describe the ghutra/kufiya as it is generally used to describe close fitting headgear. — Gareth Hughes 00:53, 10 March 2006 (UTC)


 * Sorry for claiming that the edit might have been nonsense, it seems Ammar was well intentioned in their edit. Prehaps some reference to this issule can be added to the article.--JK the unwise 09:29, 10 March 2006 (UTC)

in fact u've got wrong information sir, even if u were right about "some" iraqis whom dont wear the skullcap , they still call it Ghutra , second thing the whatever u call it crappy thing is more worn in saudi arabia much more than any other place which i prefer to use their Names of this long story on their heads , other wise i'd rather call a pantie a Bra hehe :D , thanx for listening anyways and its up to u if u wanna currect ur information :) --Ammar shaker 895:867, 58 March 6706 (UTC)


 * Along those lines, one could draw attention to the different meanings of the word pants between American and British English. The kufiya probably meant something in the Kufa style originally. Throughout Egypt and the Levant, 'kufiya' is the name of the headcloth, and, because of this, it has become the main word used in English and other European languages. The alternative names, and the skullcap are mentioned in the article, and it is obvious that they are peculiarly Gulfi names. Of course, it remains disputed which is the more correct usage, so we use the more common. — Gareth Hughes 15:16, 11 March 2006 (UTC)


 * whatever u like my friend :) have a nice day

--Ammar shaker 6895:88567, 88547 March 656706 (UTC)

Religious
i have seen non-muslim palestinians wear it and I know it is a nationalist symbol, but s there any religious significance at all to its use or is it entirely a secular cultural phenomenon? Is it required by sharia?


 * No, the keffiyeh is not required by Sharia. It is worn by Christians and members of other religious groups in many places throughout the Middle East. The green-and-white keffiyeh that is a modern, political invention, and, as it indicates support for Hamas, is only worn by Muslims. — Gareth Hughes 13:06, 15 April 2006 (UTC)


 * No, the keffiyeh is worn by absolutely every Palestinian regardless of their religion. There are many articles, and interviews with Christian Palestinians who rally, support, and protest next to their Muslim Palestinians brothers and sisters, whilst wearing the Keffiyeh. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.193.7.149 (talk) 04:34, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

"Shemagh"
For the military section I thought it best to include this spelling rather than any other as it is the standard one used. No reason to put it in any other place but its inclusion for the purposes of comprehensiveness is necessary. It can be found amongst other places at these here, here and here, and at every military surplus site you care to look for. Cheers. Driller thriller 19:37, 7 August 2006 (UTC)

I have added some additional usage data from a British and Commonwealth perspective drawing on standard published and open sources. This section still lacks any substantive detail on the French military and police adoption of this headwear. KeepSureSilence72.37.171.100 13:01, 15 March 2007 (UTC)

Etymology of different names
I'm wondering if anyone can add anything more about the different names. We've had the last poster tell us that shemagh is the prefered spelling among western millitaries. I think we've chosen the most popular name, keffiyeh, for the article. This is what I have so far: Can anyone help with information about these different names? — Gareth Hughes 22:58, 7 August 2006 (UTC)
 * كوفية (kūfīyä; plural: كوفيات, kūfīyāt) — perhaps from Kufa (الكوفة, al-kūfä.
 * شماغ (šmāġ) — popular military name, but cannot find word in my Arabic dictionary.
 * غترة (ġuṭrä) — seems to be popular name in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, where kufiyeh refers to the skullcap worn underneath.
 * حطّة (ḥaṭṭä) — based on the root ḥaṭṭ (حطّ), meaning 'to put, place, put down, set down'.


 * The term شماغ (šmāġ) isn't best referred to a military term, in the Gulf region it is used to refer to the (usually red) patterned shawl while غترة (ġuṭrä) refers to the plain white one. The former is more common in countries like Saudi Arabia, and it also seems to be quite popular in the military. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.241.147.115 (talk) 12:44, 15 October 2010 (UTC)

Sandstorms vs. sand
It would seem more useful to make the internal link in the second paragraph of the article refer to sandstorms instead of sand. I never needed a keffiyeh walking on the beach, but sure would have liked to have had one on some windy days far from the water in the Middle East. --Catawba 23:47, 26 August 2006 (UTC)

As a fasion accesory
Note, these are also used quite a bit in fashion and are usually sold as "Emo" or "Desert" scarves; take a look James.Spudeman 20:51, 28 January 2007 (UTC)

'How to wrap a keffiyeh' section
Can somebody with knowledge make a 'how to wrap a keffiyeh' section for the various styles? I can think of a few off hand, the mujahideen style covering all but the eyes, the Yasser Arafat style mentioned in the article, the "traditional" style, and the style farmers use that makes the top look bunched up like a snake wrapped around the head while a portion hangs down in the back.Cyprein 12:27, 23 March 2007 (UTC)

Patterns
There is information on the colours, but not the patterns and their possible significance. When I was in Jordan in the mid-80s, only Palestinians wore the wide-mesh pattern keffiyeh (always in B&W - like in Arafat's photo); the bedouin wore the finer mesh pattern, like in the top photo, usually in B&W but occasionally in red and white.

Incidentally, when I bought a couple in the souk to take home (to the UK), I was amused to see they were manufactured in Bradford in Yorkshire.

Also, in reference to the fashion trend subsection, they were popular in the UK in the early 80s. Me and loads of my student mates wore them, and then were pissed off when Ric in The Young Ones started wearing one. We stopped at once 'cos he was a pretentious tosser (and, of course, we weren't). 217.155.195.19 18:22, 15 May 2007 (UTC)

Ghotra
I think it would be said in the Middle East that the ghotra was a whole 'nuther garment and not a sub-type or regional variation on the kaffiyeh. I think it should have its own entry, and maybe an entire entry on the costume of the Arabian Peninsula/ Gulf would be warranted, dishdash and all. Ghotra is a different fabric from kaffiyeh, different size, worn quite differently. Not really the same. Amity150 03:34, 27 May 2007 (UTC)

Britain
Ah, in Britain their are thousands of teenagers (wearing skin tight trousers, slanted cut fringes with masses of hair on top (what style or statment is this????)) wearing the Keffiyeh around their necks. They havn't got a clue about the Palestinian struggle, they wear it as something called a 'Rock Scarf' - I declare that everytime I see one I will speak to them about it. Its crazy in Britain, everywhere, even in small villages - these people have no clue. Is it just these types of teenagers (as described above) in Britain or is this all over. Also, what style is that that they dress? Robert C Prenic 08:17, 10 August 2007 (UTC)


 * I think they are Hipster (contemporary subculture) or EMO's . Robert C Prenic (talk) 17:59, 18 December 2007 (UTC)

Plural?
The article lacks consistency in its pluralisation of the word (compare "Many Palestinian keffiyeh are a mix of cotton and wool" and "Black and white keffiyehs are associated with Fatah, while red and white keffiyehs are associated with Hamas") - as the word has been naturalised into the English language, can I suggest we agree on "keffiyehs" as a plural? ~dom Kaos~ (talk) 12:22, 4 July 2009 (UTC)

Misleading paragraph
I had to remove the following paragraph: "As Islam spread through the mideast, non-muslims, particularly Jews, were given Dhimmi, or second-class status. Having Dhimmi status came with many restrictions, including the restriction of wearing certain garb attributed to first-class status.  Over time, the Keffiyeh evolved into a symbol of Arab masculinity and status, with the Keffiyeh seen as a crown, meant to symbolize Muslim superiority.  The right of wearing the Keffiyeh was reserved exclusively for Arabs, and for much of the mid-eastern Jewish population the practice of wearing a Keffiyeh was forbidden.  Some Jews have tried to revive the use of Keffiyah.  Recently, a Yemenite Jew named Erez 'Diwon' Safar has launched a company whose purpose is to sell the Jewish Keffiyah, also known as 'The Kef.'"

The claim is not supported by any reliable source, in addition, the claim that "Dhimmi" is a second-class status is disputed, and I, being Arab, know very well that "Dhimmi" literally means "a man of a pact/treaty" and it has nothing to do with inferiority. Please don't use Wikipedia for spreading hate propaganda, this is an encyclopedia and not a place for spreading your hate ideology towards certain groups of people, respect this. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 80.14.39.130 (talk) 05:40, 9 November 2010 (UTC)


 * The limitations of "Dhimmi" clearly relegate those subject to it diminutive status- the assertion that "it has nothing to do with inferiority" is plainly wishful.  Rather than an immediate redaction, I suggest we seek references; I've reverted the action.   There are a number of elements within the paragraph that warrant individual address.Mavigogun (talk) 06:27, 9 November 2010 (UTC)

Arab Head Dress
The Shemagh/Keffiyeh is obviously usually most commonly associated with traditional Arabian Clothing. It does not mention that clearly and concisely anywhere in the opening of the article, which is otherwise far leaning in associateing it with Palestinians only, which is a relatively very new trend seeded more on politics. The Keffiyed has been worn as part of traditional Arab dress for centuries before the conflict began, and this very important part is not really mentioned anywhere in the article. So I added a clarification and slighlty swapped the wording on the opening sentences of the artcle to clarify it. None of the section is cited or sourced, but I have not deleted a single thing either. I simply rearranged some wording and added a very brief clarification that it is traditional Arab wear. Cheers all. Pink Princess (talk) 14:27, 14 February 2011 (UTC)

Dark blue variety
The first paragraph of the *Varieties and Variations* section doesn't cite any sources. In Return to the Marshes (1977), Gavin Young mentions a blue keffiyeh worn by some of the Marsh Arabs in Iraq. As the Keffiyeh article in its present stage doesn't seem to be aware of the existence of this variety of keffiye, I'm incorporating the Gavin Young reference into the *Varieties and Variations* section – with the accompanying citation, of course. Here is the text from page 16:
 * Falih's heavy figure stood watching us until we turned the next bend in the water-channel and a clump of willows hid him. The monotony of the low, flat land resumed. But we hadn't travelled far before the canoe-boys broke off their desultory conversation to point and chatter. On the right bank ahead I saw another great reed mudhif (guest-house) and people, as at Falih's, moving out of its shadowy, arched doorway to watch us approach. There was a difference here for nearly all of them wore dark blue kefiyahs (headcloths) instead of the customary black and white check ones. By that sign we could tell that they were sayyids, like the sallow-faced man at Falih's. The owner of this guest-house, Sayyid Sarwat, was the most respected of all the sayyids in these parts; a man known and loved through all southern Iraq up to Baghdad, even to Kuwait. His prestige was immense – not only among superstitious Marsh Arabs and the ultra-religious; with the sheikhs and government officials of the area, too, his wisdom and probity were unquestioned.—Biosketch (talk) 14:58, 20 February 2011 (UTC)

Neo-Nazi symbol
Regarding this revert and the edit summary "Its not that the source is not reliable it is that it is not WP:V verifiable - this is an extraordinary claim that requires extraordinary," if Der Spiegel is a WP:RS, which it is, there's no WP:V problem with the content. The claim being made is verifiable by the link provided to Der Spiegel.

We needn't quote the book directly. That Der Spiegel is a source for the claim is sufficient.—Biosketch (talk) 09:54, 2 September 2011 (UTC)


 * Your statement misrepresented the source. Spiegel Online does not say that the Weiss pamphlet neo-Nazis are using the kefiyeh as a symbol of struggle against Israel. In fact, it says that neo-Nazis ignore the broader meaning of the kefiyeh.     ←   ZScarpia  14:09, 2 September 2011 (UTC)
 * How does its mispresentation? The source says quite clear "That is used nowadays simply as a symbol of struggle against Israel"?--Shrike (talk) 14:31, 2 September 2011 (UTC)

Ok, this bears more explanation, because the twitter-like limits of edit summaries limit the convo. WP:V specifically requires we use multiple sources for extraordinary claims. The claim neo-nazis use the Kiffiyeh for reasons of anti-semitism is extraordinary, and requires further verifcation in other reliable sources in order to meet the threshold of inclusion. I made this point in an earlier edit summary. I am not saying the material is not topical, that Der Spiegel is not a reliable source, or even that it is being misquoted. I am saying it needs additional sources for verification. That is a policy based request, not an interpretation of policy. Any material not following policy can and will be removed. Also a principle. And I do not see how including this material improves the encyclopedia enough that we should ignore all rules.--Cerejota (talk) 00:00, 3 September 2011 (UTC)
 * Who ever said anything about antisemitism? See, you're inventing things that were never in the article to begin with – I'm guessing out of carelessness and nothing more. There isn't anything the least bit extraordinary about saying that Michael Weiss argues that the keffiyeh has become a neo-Nazi symbol. Der Spiegel is certainly a reliable enough source for that claim. The Temple News makes a similar claim here – that the keffiyeh has become part of neo-Nazi uniforms in Germany. On what grounds are you objecting to including this content in the article?—Biosketch (talk) 06:33, 3 September 2011 (UTC)
 * Again, you seem not to understand that even an extremely reliable source cannot make an extraordinary claim without sufficient verification. The Temple News is hardly a reliable source. We do not "decide" on a topic, and then find sources, we do it the other way around. There are thousands of sources on the Keffiyeh, and this article includes a few. In that universe, usage by nazis is not seen - currently - as a notable observation. I have looked for sourcing, but other than the book being reviewed by Der Spiegel (in other words, the claim is not being made by Der Spiegel itself - which is an important distinction) I cannot find this view. Even looking at picture of nazis on the web, I do not see it. So unless sources start saying otherwise, in a number that says this is indeed an observable, notable phenomenon, all we have is anecdote in one book, reviewed/commented on by one reliable source.--Cerejota (talk) 07:53, 5 September 2011 (UTC)
 * Temple News is hardly a reliable source? Dude, what're you talking about? Go read the Temple News article, noting in particular all the awards the newspaper's garnered in recent years. Plenty of respectable organizations have acknowledged the newspaper's elevated standards of journalism, so your opinion is undeniably in the wrong here. And if it's more sources you want to corroborate the notability of Michael Weiss, well that's a cinch:
 * Hiding in plain sight: Germany's Neo-Nazis ditch skinhead look—The Independent
 * Germany's Neo-Nazis ditch skinhead look—The Belfast Telegraph
 * Dresscode van een neonazi—De Standaard
 * Neo-Nazis ditch skinhead image in bid to entice voters—The New Zealand Herald
 * A disturbing trend: Neo-Nazi codes—Yahoo! News
 * So erkennt man einen modernen Nazi—Berliner Kurier
 * Die geheimen Zeichen der Neonazis—Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung—Biosketch (talk) 09:42, 6 September 2011 (UTC)

Temple News is a local campus newspaper, with a circulation of around 6,000 people, a largely volunteer staff, and as such not considered a specially reliable source unless speaking about events in Temple U and the local area it covers. Ask at WP:RS/N if you do not want to take my word for it.

We are not talking about Michael Weiss, we are talking about neo-nazis wearing Keffiyehs - notability is not inherited in any case. I see you can look for sources, find a few reliable sources that back this claim. I haven't been able to, but I am not looking as hard as you because I am skeptical this claim is true - being that nazis today are more anti-muslim than anti-semitic, or rather, are upping the volume on the one and lowering it on the other.

On the particular reliability of the pamphlet Der Spiegel cite, it claims in its web version that wearing New Balance tennis shoes is a nazi thing, so forgive it for not giving it any credence on its claims - it borders on WP:SENSATION - and if you take time to read SENSATION, you will see even reliable sources engage on it.--Cerejota (talk) 11:09, 6 September 2011 (UTC)
 * I took the time to read WP:SENSATION. It has nothing to do with the claim made by Weiss. He's a recognized expert on right-wing extremism, not a gossip columnist. So...any other rabbits in your hat?—Biosketch (talk) 11:40, 6 September 2011 (UTC)

Rename Article to Kūfiyyah (and unlock)
Keffiyeh is a localized Levantine Arabic slang and all the problems related to this article is connected to it's use. Please understand that the kūfiyyah, shemagh, or ghutra is part of the national dress of a variety of People incl. Non-Arabs (Kurds) and therefore, Standard Arabic name should best be used in order to avoid stigmatization and harrassment of certain groups. Thank you! 78.94.33.52 (talk) 17:44, 28 June 2012 (UTC)

I just wanted to point out that there is a punctuation error in the article. In the section "Varieties and variations", the first two sentences of the third paragraph reads: "In Jordan The red-and-white keffiyeh is a symbol of Jordanian heritage, and is strongly associated with Jordan, where it is known as shemagh mhadab. The Jordanian keffiyeh has decorative cotton or wool tassels on the sides". There should be a period following the second sentence, and there is none. The text should read "In Jordan The red-and-white keffiyeh is a symbol of Jordanian heritage, and is strongly associated with Jordan, where it is known as shemagh mhadab. The Jordanian keffiyeh has decorative cotton or wool tassels on the sides."

Thanks!

--Harrumpf (talk) 06:58, 16 December 2012 (UTC)

Jewish Keffiyeh
Would an image of one of the modern Jewish keffiyot be of any help? I own two of the ones of this type: Or are we looking for more traditional? Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie &#124; Say Shalom! 00:52, 23 September 2011 (UTC)
 * Nothing will escape, the Jews will steal every symbol of Palestinian and Arab culture, won't they. Guinsberg (talk) 08:40, 25 July 2012 (UTC)
 * Yes just like the Italians "stole" pasta from the Chinese, the Greeks "stole" olives from the Levant, the Irish "stole" potatos from Peru, the entire world "stole" coffee from the Ethiopians, the Arabs "stole" rice and tea from the Indians, Spain "stole" the guitar from the Moors, America "stole" the guitar from the Spanish...ridiculous. Culture cannot be stolen, only shared. 2.54.248.94 (talk) 18:39, 22 December 2012 (UTC)
 * Nonsense. None of the "cultural theft" cases you mention are nearly as idiotic as that of the Jewish keffiyeh BS, which is basically just a Palestinian scarf adorned with stars of David. Same about hummus and other Levantine Arab delicacies that the Israelis have stolen. At least the Greeks and the Italians weren't lazy in their appropriation of foreign culture. Instead they adapted foreign imports to fit national culture -- that's why the macarroni can still be thought of as an Italian dish. This is unlike Jews, who just plain steal Levantine Arab culture without even adding innovations of their own to the stuff they copy. 177.40.190.229 (talk) 15:11, 2 February 2013 (UTC)

Merge sub headings?
I suggest that the sub-headings referring to the Palestinian use and symbolism of the kuffiyeh, and the related "controversy", should be combined into one sub-heading. This article seems to downplay the non-political historical use of kuffiyeh, shemagh, etc. by people in the mid east for millenia, and it does not give enough information on non-Palestinian variants. 2.54.248.94 (talk) 18:43, 22 December 2012 (UTC)
 * I hope that, by "non-Palestinian variants" worn "for millenia", you don't mean the bogus keffiyeh produced by Israelis 2 years ago to try and steal just another Levantine Arab cultural symbol.. 177.40.190.229 (talk) 15:14, 2 February 2013 (UTC)

Planning to blank the so called "Jewish keffiyehs" section.
I'm planning to blank the so called "Jewish keffiyehs" section. The reason for this is because there is no such thing as a "jewish keffiyeh" and the section is completely made up. Two sources in the section are used, one is "Talmud Berakhoth 60b" which does not mention keffiyehs, the other is "Id." .. what is that supposed to be?? --Supreme Deliciousness (talk) 23:34, 10 April 2013 (UTC)
 * Hmm, I don't have access to Talmud Berakhoth 60b, but did you try to look for sources? AgadaUrbanit (talk) 06:41, 17 April 2013 (UTC)
 * Haven't seen any, could you explain why you reverted me and re added the section? the source you added does not support the re addition of the section. --Supreme Deliciousness (talk) 10:30, 17 April 2013 (UTC)
 * I've added a relevant quote from J. R. Bartlett. Why do you think "there is no such thing as a "jewish keffiyeh" and the section is completely made up". Could you provide sources for such an assertion? AgadaUrbanit (talk) 12:57, 17 April 2013 (UTC)
 * Like Dlv999 said, its up to the person who added the text to prove that its true, so far the source you added says: "traditional Jewish head-dress was either something like the Arab's Keffiyeh (a cotton square folded and wound around a head) or like a turban or stocking cap" So there is as much reason to call it a "Jewish turban" as a "Jewish keffiyeh", but for some reason I haven't seen you showing up at the Turban article, only here, that's weird isn't it? So the sentence needs to be modified to reflect the source (and the source does not say that there is such a thing as a "Jewish keffiyeh") and then moved to the "Varieties and variations" section and the entire false section about "Jewish keffiyehs" that you re added should be removed again, as you have not provided any reason for it to stay. --Supreme Deliciousness (talk) 21:45, 17 April 2013 (UTC)
 * If someone seriously disputes any unreferenced claim it should be removed until it can be supported by RS. The onus is on the person including material to provide RS. There is no requirement to provide RS to remove unsourced claims. Dlv999 (talk) 15:04, 17 April 2013 (UTC)
 * "The other is "Id." .. what is that supposed to be?" - see Ibid.. It was sourced to Talmud Berakhoth 60b. So it appears that what was removed a long standing referenced claim. This should be explained. After all our editing policy is WP:PRESERVE. AgadaUrbanit (talk) 15:23, 19 April 2013 (UTC)
 * Please bring the quote from Talmud 60b that supports the text. --Supreme Deliciousness (talk) 15:26, 19 April 2013 (UTC)
 * Per that no evidence has been presented that Talmud Berakhoth 60b mentions keffiyeh, it has been removed. --Supreme Deliciousness (talk) 17:40, 21 April 2013 (UTC)
 * Berakot 60b, Talmud talks about sudra: When he spreads a sudra over his head he should say: ‘Blessed is He who crowns Israel with glory’.
 * Isaac Levy quotes Berakot 60b and says it was bound over the head and the remaining part left to hang over the neck, similar to the modern Arab head-dress, see
 * Wayne Allen says: "The Aramaic term translated as head covering is sudra. The sudra is not a tallit but a special head scarf wound around the head and hanging down over the neck.'' see
 * Marcus Jastrow translates sudra as “a scarf wound around the head and hanging down over the neck” see Marcus Jastrow at upenn
 * AgadaUrbanit (talk) 09:53, 24 April 2013 (UTC)
 * 1, 3 and 4 does not mention keffiyeh. 2 says "was bound over the head and the remaining part left to hang over the neck, similar to the modern Arab head-dress", it doesn't say anything about a "Jewish Keffiyeh" but that something was worn similar to the modern Arab head-dress. The sentence in the article: "Ancient Jews used to wear a headgear that was similar to either a keffiyeh, turban or a stocking cap." covers that. --Supreme Deliciousness (talk) 19:41, 24 April 2013 (UTC)
 * Isaac Levy (#2) though mentions and makes the connection. So according to secondary source, sudra and talmud make sense in Keffiyeh context. Is not it wonderful? AgadaUrbanit (talk) 00:48, 25 April 2013 (UTC)
 * Similar is not the same.  nableezy  - 15:49, 26 April 2013 (UTC)
 * Correct, the nature of connection is similarity. So let's sum up WP:V content so far
 * Per Isaac Levy (#2) Sudra is similar to the modern Arab head-dress, mentioned in Talmud Berakot 60b.
 * Per Wayne Allen (#3) Sudra is an Aramaic language term
 * Per Marcus Jastrow (#4) Sudra is a “a scarf wound around the head and hanging down over the neck”.
 * Per J. R. Bartlett. Jewish youth in Jerusalem during Jason (high priest) / Seleucid Empire had to wear petasos instead of traditional headgear when entering Greek stadium.
 * AgadaUrbanit (talk) 18:51, 26 April 2013 (UTC)
 * And? The only thing from the above that matters, even a little bit, to this article is that Sudra is similar to the modern Arab head-dress. If you want to add something to that effect fine, but otherwise material on sudra belongs in Sudra, or, as it gives, the currently red-linked Jewish Sudra.  nableezy  - 19:21, 26 April 2013 (UTC)

Chapeau
I think it must be the same as "chapeau". — Preceding unsigned comment added by Kamranmohajeri (talk • contribs) 16:34, 18 June 2013 (UTC)

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Gulf War use by American forces
Under the military use subheading, it is stated that "since the beginning of the War on Terror, these keffiyeh, usually cotton and in military olive drab or khaki with black stitching, have been adopted by US troops as well, a reversal of previous policy which saw them strictly forbidden during the Gulf War."

My mother was given a khaki keffiyeh as standard issue in the U.S. Air Force during the Gulf War; it was how I initially came to be familiar with the headwear (albeit as a 'shemagh'). Despite this, the article asserts that they were "strictly forbidden." The experience of both of my parents in the Air Force during the Gulf War seems to directly contradict the source that is cited here, does anyone have access to it that can verify? I have access to a university library system and can try, but may not be able. — Preceding unsigned comment added by JimboJe7 (talk • contribs) 23:14, 28 October 2014 (UTC)

Interesting article, but why...
...did it originate? It must have served some protective purpose originally I assume, but I don't think this is covered at all in the article which seems to focus on the differences, fashion and political statements. Or did I miss something? Stephenjh (talk) 20:21, 18 June 2014 (UTC)


 * You missed something. It originated out of necessity. They needed to cover their heads from intense sun, dust and sandstorms. 24.86.117.175 (talk) 20:21, 17 November 2014 (UTC) 31jetjet

False claims
Flinders Petrie, you reverted me here:, based on the Sudra section.

But Sudra is not a Keffiyeh, so that entire section should be removed. Sudra has a separate article. This source: p 246, puts Sudras relation to the keffyeh in the same position as to a turban or scull cap. Which means it is clearly not the same thing and does not belong here. --Supreme Deliciousness (talk) 04:09, 9 February 2015 (UTC)


 * Ah, sorry, I didn't see this. When highlighting an editor it's best to do it like so: . I don't have any strong feelings about this topic, but I'll give you my replies all the same. It might be best to re-read the link you gave me as it says, "traditional Jewish head-dress was either something like the Arab's keffiyeh (a cotton square folded and wound round the head) or like a turban or stocking cap." While the author is unsure, they do say it was either like a keffiyeh, or wrapped like a turban, and there is no mention of a skull cap, but rather a stocking cap, which I guess is similar to what Santa Claus would wear. So I find the assertion that they are clearly not the same thing to be an assertion wanting further evidence. We also have sources (such as the Walla one) saying that Palestinian Jews did indeed wear keffiyehs during the Mandate period and so there is no reason to remove the reference to Jews having worn them in the lead. On a side note, it might be best to use a more civil section heading than "false claims". Maybe something like incorrect or inaccurate claims.Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie &#124; Say Shalom! 26 Shevat 5775 17:36, 15 February 2015 (UTC)
 * The source puts a keffiyeh and sudra in the same position as a sudra and a turban or stocking cap. So its not the same thing. Your link does not work for me. --Supreme Deliciousness (talk) 08:27, 18 February 2015 (UTC)

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Non arabs and non kurds wearing keffiyeh
It is common for afghan tajik persians to wear a kufiyah as well as pashtuns. Although not very common in Iran, some persians do wear kufiyah and so do some muslim scholars, the recent removal of an edit was senseless. There is not even a cotation for jews wearing kufiyah. Jews culturally wear a talit, not a kufiyah. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 172.98.72.50 (talk) 13:49, 9 November 2015 (UTC)

Pashtuns don't wear Kyeffieh's, what are you talking about? They wear turbans in a unique manner and even the tajiks don't wear it either so your claims are baseless. Also, its more than likely the Keyffieh is of jewish origin since the ancient israelites wore it the same way and was probably adopted by arabs afterwards. During the time of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) Arabs, espicially his tribe did not wear keffyiehs. Akmal94 (talk) 20:22, 13 November 2015 (UTC)

Akmal, if this is the case please inform me why in afghanistan they wear the keffiyeh(they call it dasmaal), in arab countries they wear the keffiyeh, but in no jewish culture besides those living in arab countries they wear it? and by the way what you said about the Prophet Muhammad(PBUH) is an absolute lie, the prophet was famous for wearing a green keffiyeh.

Desmal's are not Keffyieh's and they tie it like a turban or use it to cover their faces. The Keffyieh was originally Jewish headdress called the Sudra. Read more on it in the related topics if you are interested, also i am not wrong, The Prophet wore a green turban or hat not a Keffiyeh because it is not sunnah. Also please, learn to sign of your posts when you are done, thanks. Akmal94 (talk) 07:07, 20 February 2018 (UTC)

Field Marshal Rommel wore a plaid scarf, not a keffiyeh
The article says Rommel wore a keffiyeh, yet all the photos you see of him, and old film, clearly show him wearing the plaid scarf his (illegitimate) daughter Gertrude had knitted for him (and knitting plaid is extremely difficult!) around his neck under his coat, NOT a keffiyeh in ANY photo. To deny that he wore this beloved gift demeans them both. He was also denied the opportunity to even tell her goodbye when "they" came for him. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.221.11.187 (talk) 02:22, 19 May 2018 (UTC)

"from the city of Kufa
Re. this derivation, "kūfiyyah, meaning "from the city of Kufa," I should like to see a source reference. JF42 (talk) 10:02, 27 April 2019 (UTC)

Etymology
Does the word come from Late Latin cofia, ultimately from a Germanic language? --Ferhengvan (talk) 12:50, 4 April 2020 (UTC)

U.S. Marine wearing a keffiyeh
Caption: U.S. Marine wearing a keffiyeh at the Afghanistan–Pakistan border"

Is that a keffiyeh, or merely a cotton tartan (plaid) scarf? JF42 (talk) 10:07, 27 April 2019 (UTC)


 * No idea about the Americans, but the British forces certainly issue Shemaghs and have done since at least WW2. Plus, even if the Americans don't have an issue version, it's highly likely their people will have cottoned onto them by now given the amount of time they've spent in the sand. 82.1.7.156 (talk) 16:54, 8 July 2020 (UTC)
 * It is a colour-woven check, plain weave, and has all the general appearance of a shemagh, though you cannot tell if it is cotton from a pic, it looks authentic. For our purposes, we are not mislabelling that Shemagh/keffiya. -Roxy the elfin dog . wooF 17:19, 8 July 2020 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 23 May 2021
188.247.73.63 (talk) 19:48, 23 May 2021 (UTC)

Keffiyeh is a traditional dress code for Jordannian and palestenian it was never a thing that terrorist wear as u can see terrorists isn’t identified by thier dress code
 * . As far as I can tell, though it does mention some political aspects, this article does not mention terrorists at all. Would the next person to come along please be kind enough to explain why people are making this kind of request? -- zzuuzz (talk) 19:56, 23 May 2021 (UTC)
 * I've been watching, but cannot explain. -Roxy . wooF 20:01, 23 May 2021 (UTC)
 * I suspect there's some misdirection from Palestinian keffiyeh, though again I'm not sure of the complaint's foundation. Anyway, if anyone knows the answer to the question I posed, I'm sure it will help. Also, I've semi-protected the article for a while - while we have the attention of interested parties, any actual suggestions to actually improve the article are always welcome. -- zzuuzz (talk) 20:19, 23 May 2021 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 23 May 2021 (5)
You must remove any indication that the Keffiyeh belongs to terrorists and unequivocally state that this is a source of nationalism towards the oppressed Palestinians. People I know were first misinformed and thought that the Keffiyeh was what terrorists use. This type of misinformation is not tolerated and could lead to other issues such as the association of the Palestinian people with terrorists. PalestineWillAlwaysBeFree (talk) 23:49, 23 May 2021 (UTC)
 * Red question icon with gradient background.svg Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. Ben  ❯❯❯  Talk  00:29, 24 May 2021 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 24 May 2021
The national headdress of many peoples cannot and should not be used to target them as terrorists. This is apartheid and racist. 176.28.219.123 (talk) 03:50, 24 May 2021 (UTC)
 * Red question icon with gradient background.svg Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate.
 * Also, if you read the article you will see that it does not say that the keffiyeh is terrorist headgear. In fact, the words terror, terrorist or terrorism is not even in the article. My guess is that you read some wrong information somewhere. Please tell us where you heard that this article makes a connection between keffiyehs and terrorism. Maybe we can do something to correct that. Sjö (talk) 04:17, 24 May 2021 (UTC)
 * It seems we have our answer here. To anyone complaining, we do not control what Google displays in their search results. Please complain to them, not us. Alternatively, use a different search engine. And by the way, what a bizarre question to ask. -- zzuuzz (talk) 05:24, 24 May 2021 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 24 May 2021 (2)
185.193.176.171 (talk) 09:20, 24 May 2021 (UTC) This page is racist, offensive, hurtful This has to be taken down as the Palestinian Kufiyyeh was never and will never be a sign of terrorism.
 * Red information icon with gradient background.svg Not done: Wikipedia is not censored. You could, instead, offer some constructive improvements to the page, supported by reliable sourcing, which could help us achieve, what you may see as, more balanced view.  Mel ma nn   09:37, 24 May 2021 (UTC)

If you searched on google what does terrorist wear they show you this article
That’s not true Palestine isn’t terrorist at least they don’t kill kids and their parents and bomb houses Msssright (talk) 12:33, 24 May 2021 (UTC)
 * So you should contact Google if you dont like what they say, not us. We have nothing to do with what Google does. Please tell all your friends. -Roxy . wooF 12:39, 24 May 2021 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 24 May 2021 (3)
The keffiyeh is a symbol of Palestinian resistance and was never used for terrorist validation, and is not what terrorists wear on their heads, it has absolutely nothing to do with terrorism. 2001:8F8:182D:A471:9CE7:C6C1:4607:1DD4 (talk) 13:29, 24 May 2021 (UTC)
 * Red information icon with gradient background.svg Not done: As a bunch of people have said above, this article does not mention any perceived connection to terrorism. If something is showing up incorrectly on Google, then that is an issue with Google and not us. Pupsterlove02  talk • contribs 13:41, 24 May 2021 (UTC)

An Explanation, perhaps
This article came fourth when I used that search term, no pictures. this was the first result, and it seems Twitter is helping dissemination. (I dont do social media) -Roxy . wooF 19:52, 24 May 2021 (UTC)

mashadah (مَشَدَة) really?
The first paragraph includes this among the synonyms: "mashadah (مَشَدَة)". Is that really a word for the head-cloth? I haven't been able to find evidence of it anywhere, in dictionaries or on the internet. The closest seems to be مشَدّ miʃadd (mishadd) which means 'corset', and putting مشدة in Google Images gives pictures of bras (brassieres). Is this somebody's idea of a joke? I'm removing it; if anyone has evidence for it they can restore it. 74.88.24.4 (talk) 16:18, 4 September 2021 (UTC)

"Production" section
Based on a single article, which is basically an op-ed with no cited sources for any of the claims. In short, it bashes both pro-Palestinian wearers of the keffiyeh and China, all without a factual basis. It should be deleted in its entirety. 142.198.135.5 (talk) 01:10, 26 December 2022 (UTC)

Keffiyeh
Jamadani is a Kurdish word. Just because Iraqi Turkmen may also call it the same thing doesn't change the fact it's still Kurdish. The keffiyeh is worn throughout the middle east hence y I added that piece of text to accommodate for all ethnic minorities throughout the region. However the original status quo text was addressing another ethnic group which are famous for wearing the headpiece which are the kurds. Just because other ethnic groups may also wear it doesn't mean they are 'famous' for it. We could list all day every single ethnic group who wears it however summarising it is much more appropriate. I think to reach an agreement on the matter we should just include both our contributions. Academic10 (talk) 16:40, 15 March 2023 (UTC)
 * There's no proof to what you're saying, and you're obviously a POV Kurdish nationalist editor (nothing new on these types of articles). My additions are sourced, yours are not. You were already banned for sockpuppetry and hateful language. ;) Dwasirkaram (talk) 17:26, 15 March 2023 (UTC)
 * I was never banned and what hateful language? You can't just make fake accusations like that, this seems like a personal attack
 * The purpose of this is to benefit the worlds access to information we should both have the same goal. You consistently undo my edits and when I try to have a constructive discussion you provide no reasons for your edits.
 * My edit still incorporated your source however your edit removed sourced images and information that was originally on the page. Can you stop edit warring and actually have a constructive discussion for the benefit of the readers. Academic10 (talk) 17:32, 15 March 2023 (UTC)
 * Sorry, what I was referring to was your edit warring on Iraqis, where you were insulting me and indulged in sockpuppetry, now that page has been locked because of you. Also, Jamadani is not a Kurdish word. Referring to everything as Kurdish is an attempt at historical erasure. The more appropriate, civilized action is to represent all peoples and history and make the article fair, which I have done already. Dwasirkaram (talk) 19:24, 15 March 2023 (UTC)
 * Excuse me? I never used any rude language against you or any other user. I don't know if you have me confused with someone else and I was never blocked for 'sockpuppetry'.
 * I've now looked into the Iraqis page history that you mentioned and can see someone did use disgusting language against you however that is not me, my username is Acamdeic10. Academic10 (talk) 19:53, 15 March 2023 (UTC)
 * You started using an IP making the exact same edits with the same edit summaries, and said IP got banned for 2 weeks. If you edit war again I am taking this to admins. Dwasirkaram (talk) 21:43, 15 March 2023 (UTC)
 * That IP has nothing to do with me you can't just make fake accusations like that and i'll be taking it to admins as this is a personal attack and your making fake accusations that I feel have evil intent behind them.
 * This talk page 'keffiyeh' is not the right place for this so I'll no longer be engaging with you further I tried having constructive discussion with you even on your own talk page but you chose not to have a constructive academic discussion and resorted to personal attacks. Academic10 (talk) 23:59, 15 March 2023 (UTC)
 * I didn't personally attack you, so clearly you're the one making fake accusations, not me. Dwasirkaram (talk) 00:15, 16 March 2023 (UTC)

incorfect claim about Glubb Pasha and the black and white chequered Keffiyeh?
The claim that glubb pasha brought about the black and white chequered keffiyeh to discern Palestinians from Jordanians in the 1950s is demonstrably false, as it was a very common garment in Iraq and Palestine before that point. I don’t know how this idea made its way into this wikipedia page, as there are pictures of the black and white keffiyeh in Palestine decades older than that time period. 27.0.176.101 (talk) 16:42, 2 January 2024 (UTC)

Use as scarf
I just removed language from the lede claiming that "Westerners" wear them as scarves because no source was provided and I've personally seen many Palestinian men wearing them this way. If you google you can see images like this or this or this from the last decade in Gaza. I've even seen women wearing them as scarves on top of a second covering wrapped around their heads, as here, here, here (far left). It seems to me that everyone who uses it as a political symbol does this, not just Westerners. GordonGlottal (talk) 22:52, 8 January 2024 (UTC)

Photo of keffiyeh with detail
Please add a photo of the keffiyeh with specific details pointing to each pattern & describing its significance. Thank you 72.93.84.221 (talk) 01:11, 19 January 2024 (UTC)

Palestinian Marxists
It says, in the section Varieties and Variations: "In Palestine, the red variety, usually with patterns which differ slightly from that of the common black and white, is often worn by Palestinian Marxists.[citation needed] Red keffiyeh are also commonly worn in Jordan and the greater Gulf region."

I know that not all wearers of red keffiyehs are marxists. And it is notable that many Palestinians bear Jordanian passports; I intend to remove this uncited claim. MrDemeanour (talk) 19:13, 26 January 2024 (UTC)