Is wearing a keffiyeh as a scarf in South America inapproriate?
I am planning on taking my keffiyeh (a patterend black-white square scarf, commonly used as head cover in the Middle East) on my trip to Chile, Bolivia and Peru to wear it as a scarf while hiking in the mountains.
Would this be considered inapproriate, or can it be misunderstood as a political statement and cause problems?
Best Answer
This is arguably debateable and opinion based. But what it'll come down to, I suspect, is if it causes offense - either because of what it represents to someone, or for a misunderstanding.
It's probably not a South American-specific issue, but let's look at some other examples:
in South Africa, a Jewish boy donned one in solidarity with Gazans. It did not go down well
in terms of wearing it as a different type of clothing, this too can be problematic, as it's often the pattern that is distinctive and has meaning. For example, this designer dress inspired by the keffiyeh caused a problem for a Kiwi wearing it in Jordan. She contacted a lecturer on this, a Palestinian-Kiwi, who confirmed it was a form of cultural appropriation.
In short, some would say it's just a pattern/design, others have much more meaning attached to it. It'll depend who you run into, and their views. In general though, many people may not even know what it represents.
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Is it OK to wear a keffiyeh?
This also applies to people - well, non-Arabs specifically - who purport to wear the keffiyeh as a sign of solidarity with Palestinians. If one wants to wear it as a show of solidarity, it is certainly welcomed.Where is keffiyeh worn?
Palestinian national symbol. Traditionally worn by Palestinian farmers, the keffiyeh became worn by Palestinian men of any rank and became a symbol of Palestinian nationalism during the Arab Revolt of the 1930s.Do shemagh colors mean anything?
Keffiyeh colours, styles and symbolic meaning depend on the country, as red and white is usually associated with Jordan whereas in Palestine, a black and white scarf is mainly worn for the purpose of resistance and solidarity.How do you wear a kaffiyeh?
The folded edge of the shemagh should cover your nose and mouth. Two corners should appear on either side of your face, and the other corner should drape down in front of your face and over the top part of your neck and chest. Wrap the ends around your neck without tying them.WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?!
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Answer 2
While the world seems extremely sensitive to such things recently, I would not expect this to be an issue in most of South America. It is a vast continent and there are tons of different communities, many who live quite isolated with their own specific dress. Even in the more cosmopolitan cities, people wear all sorts of clothes with subtle difference that locals understand and they often make presumptions based on what is worn.
The keffiyeh is rarely seen in South America and would certainly not be recognized so readily as it would in the middle east and Africa. For sure, it will be noticed but I suspect it won't be interpreted as a political statement as related issues are not as well known, unless you stumble into a particular community of middle-eastern decent.
It is impossible to say that no one will be offended but it is unlikely. I have lived in South America and have been to most countries on that continent.
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