Ontario Legislature upholds keffiyeh scarf ban

An NDP motion to allow keffiyehs to be worn in the Ontario legislature has failed as it did not receive unanimous consent after at least one member voted against it. Palestinian children hold up a large kaffiyeh in the West Bank city of Ramallah, May 17, 2010.Tara Todras-Whitehill/The Canadian Press

At least one Progressive Conservative MPP blocked the unanimous consent required to overrule a decision by the Speaker of the Ontario Legislature banning the traditional keffiyeh scarf – long an emblem of the Palestinian cause – for contravening the assembly’s rules against wearing political symbols.

Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles, who had written to Speaker Ted Arnott to protest his ruling, moved a motion in the House on Thursday seeking the unanimous consent of MPPs to overturn it. Premier Doug Ford, Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie and Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner had also called on Wednesday for the overturning of the ban.

But when Mr. Arnott asked the House to grant the required unanimous consent to overrule him on Thursday morning, at least one PC MPP said no: Robin Martin, who represents the Toronto riding of Eglinton-Lawrence.

Mr. Ford, who was not in the legislature and was speaking at an appearance in Oakville, Ont., told reporters before the vote that he wanted to avoid more division on the issue.

“We see the division right now that’s going on. It’s not healthy and this will just divide the community even more,” he said.

Mr. Ford said he has many friends in the Jewish community as well as a Muslim son-in-law.

“Everyone needs to get along. This has been going on for a thousand years.”

B’nai Brith Canada had issued a statement commending Mr. Arnott’s original decision. It said then 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 follow suit.

In a letter to Mr. Arnott dated April 12, Ms. Stiles said it had come to her attention that legislative security had begun prohibiting the wearing of keffiyehs in the legislative precinct by members, staff and the public and that she wanted this reconsidered.

She said the assembly has always permitted members to “openly celebrate their culture,” including by wearing traditional clothing.
Ms. Stiles said the keffiyeh is a significant traditional clothing item not only for Palestinians, but for many members of the Arab and Muslim communities. She said members of her staff have been asked to remove their keffiyehs in order to come to work.

In a response to her letter dated April 16, Mr. Arnott said he would reverse the ruling if the House requested such a move with unanimous consent.

The legislature often varies its rules via this kind of unanimous consent motion, allowing MPPs to wear sports jerseys or other symbols that break the regular rules.

Mr. Arnott said in his letter that after researching the question, he had concluded the keffiyeh was a political symbol.