And this time, the teen-targeted clothing catalog, Alloy attempts to neutralize the "provocative" traditional Arab male headgear associated with revolutionary resistance by labelling the item a "Riviera Scarf".
I understand the motivations behind calling the kuffiyah an "anti-war woven cloth", but, a riviera scarf????? What is this-St. Tropez chic? The hottest topless beach accessory?
Friday, July 13, 2007
Kuffiyah Kraze: Another Mainstream Spotting
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15 comments:
I like that the kuffaya is going mainstream. I have no problem with anyone wearing it for any reason.
As a kid, I wore it to keep me warm in winter. I was harassed because people associated it with all the bad stuff people think about muslims and arabs. i hope it becomes mainstream and i hope i can wear it without people staying negative things to me.
Yeah but when it's meaning is relegated to that of a table cloth, you'll be mighty irked.
A table cloth is a lot better than what's current meaning represents: terrorists, that you support hands down.
Hey, even evil people get to have children too.
I don't think its "meaning" could ever be relegated to that of a table cloth...
I like the kuffaya for a lot of reasons. My farmer family back home used to wear it for functional purposes and yes its meaning also became political/a form of expression/symbol of nationalism, etc. but that won't go away because some cat from BK wears it as a trend...
I was 12 during the 1st Intifada and was there visiting when I was told I couldn't wear it around my neck...or I'd get shot.
I came back to the states and was called names like "terrorist" for wearing it. I even got called a terrorist for wearing it by a fellow classmate in grad school...
That's the mainstream "meaning" it has now...so if it changes to "meaning" a hip scarf...so be it...it want from being a symbol of "terrorism" to a symbol of "hipness" in the main stream. Its meaning never changed and never will for me though...being "hip" just makes it easier for me (and safer) to wear.
Almost on cue...bigot Anon 2:58 pm proves my point. It will make people like him sick if he sees it being worn by main stream America...
fellow Pali- this is where my heart goes out to you. If it's meaning to you will not be altered by the capriciousness of mainstream popularity, why should it dictate how safe you feel wearing it? I'm not trying to have an intellectual argument with you, I'm taking it to a more emotional level. Personally, the thing that bothers me the most with the mass marketing of Arab culture is that things associated with "Arab culture" like the food, bellydancing, henna, the music, hookahs are okay, evenly openly embraced, but the people aren't.
Maytha,
I'm not an intellectual...so no worries. The whole feeling safe thing is a practical thing, i.e. having random jerks yell at me vs. walking past a person who says "cool scarf man".
I feel what you're saying about the acceptance of "arab culture" but not the people...As an Arab American we see this all the time, they love the hummus but hate the people (or view us with great suspicion). My point is, I'd rather people "embrace" the kuffaya (even if they generally reject us) then reject both us and the Kuffaya...
But on a very micro-level, the kuffaya has great meaning to me, especially given the history of harassment I've faced when wearing it...that I'd rather wear it and NOT be harassed by those who still harbor resentment/suspicion of my people, then wear it and BE harassed by those who still harbor resentment/suspicion of my people.
Finally, and I could be wrong, but it seems that if a person is..."open minded" enough to rock a kuffaya that they'd be less likely to hate us...and are probably not in the category of those who simply embrace the culture but not the people...No evidence that this is true though.
Much respect for the posts...keep it up.
Anon 2:58pm,
Internet tough guys...take your racism somewhere else...or be a man and display it in person, not over the internet.
I'd rather have a messed up version of a keffiyi being sold as an "anti-war scarf" at urban outfitters than a real-looking version being sold as a "riviera scarf" at alloy.com. Both situations are shitty, but I kinda miss the puke-green and blue-cheese-blue keffiyis.
great comments between fellow pali and maytha.
Weren't you guys just ranting a month or so ago about Westerners stealing Arab culture? Now it's OK?
Hey I could use some dishrags though, where can I pick some of those things up?
Yasser,
Internet tough guys...take your racism somewhere else...or be a man and display it in person, not over the internet.
I saw a black guy chasing a Palestinian professor out of his own classroom once. Does that count? :P
That was back in the 1990s, though. I'm sure Americans are too timid to show their "racism" against Palestinian terrorists, now. Either that, or Palestinians have learned not to display their own bigotry except on the internet, perhaps?
"Hey I could use some dishrags though, where can I pick some of those things up?"
Try using your mother's toung, it works great for rim jobs/tossing salads, so washing dishes should be no problem.
You see you racist prick, no matter what you wish for, or say here, Arab Americans live in the US. We are educated, making money and growing. There's nothing you can do about it. You're a pathetic chump, you're only triumph is leaving racist, ignorant comments on arab/arab american blogs. While we continue to grow and succeed, in real life.
You're a racist prick who should be ignored on this site. I recommend everyone ignore this chump.
Thank you Yasser and Rawan, I appreciate both of your comments!
Everytime I see some white-bread American useful idiot sporting one of these I walk right up and say:
"Nice Palestinian Terrorist Scarf you got there!! I hate Jews too!! Yeah baby, yeah!!"
You have to see the confused look and embarassment. I assume they go right home and research the true meaning of this once normal piece of cloth that has been co-opted by evil and for evil, and probably never wear it again.
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