Achi news desk-
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs in Queen’s Park, describing the move as “unnecessarily” divisive.
“The decision to ban the keffiyeh was made by the speaker and the speaker alone. I do not support his decision as it needlessly divides the people of our state,” Ford said in a statement issued Wednesday evening.
Ford called the decision to reverse his decision “immediate.”
It is unclear when the members were most recently instructed not to wear the scarves, which are commonly worn by Arabs and are a symbol of the Palestinian resistance movement. However, in February, Arnott issued a reminder to members that the use of accessories such as political messages was prohibited.
CTV News Toronto has reached out to Arnott’s office for more clarity.
The premier’s comments follow calls from several other Ontario politicians to reconsider the ban in the building.
Ontario New Democratic Party Leader Marit Stiles said Wednesday that “everyone [in Ontario] be free to wear whatever clothing proudly reflects their heritage” and that the legislature “should be no different.”
In a letter sent to Arnott on April 12, the Opposition leader said members of his staff had been asked to remove their keffiyehs before coming to work, which he called “unacceptable.”
“Wearing these important cultural and national clothing items in our Assembly is something we should be proud of,” said Stiles. “It’s part of the story of who we are as a state. Palestinians are part of that story, and the keffiyeh is a traditional clothing item that is significant not only to them but to many members of the Arab and Muslim communities.”
He said when he heard about the ruling, he urged Arnott to reconsider.
Independent MPP Sarah Jama, who has been expelled from the NDP and reprimanded for her comments on the Palestinian resistance movement, also spoke out against the decision. Jama called the move “a forceful suppression of cultural identity.”
“This is not surprising, but worrisome nonetheless, in a country with a continuing legacy of colonialism,” Jama wrote in a statement shared to social media.
