TORONTO — 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.
Premier Doug Ford and the opposition leaders have all called for Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse his decision to not allow the scarf in the legislature.
"The decision to ban the keffiyeh was made by the speaker and the speaker alone," Ford says in a statement. "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."
In a letter to NDP Leader Marit Stiles, Arnott says the legislature has long tried to restrict wearing any clothing or item attempting to make an overtly political statement.
"The speaker cannot be aware of the meaning of every symbol or pattern but when items are drawn to my attention, there is a responsibility to respond," Arnott says in the letter. "After extensive research, I concluded that the wearing of keffiyehs at the present time in our assembly is clearly intended to be a political statement."
A keffiyeh is a checkered scarf typically worn in Arab cultures that many believe symbolizes solidarity with Palestinians.
Today before question period, Arnott said that while he made his decision "after considerable research and reflection," he would reverse it if that is the will of the house.
Stiles put forward a motion for unanimous consent to acknowledge the keffiyeh is a culturally significant clothing item in Palestinian, Muslim and Arab communities and should be allowed in the house, but on a voice vote at least one person from the Progressive Conservative government's side said no.
- with files from The Trillium
