A keffiyeh or a shemagh? Photo of CAF member wearing scarf sparks anger, questions about scarf’s history

A Canadian military organization shared a photo last week of a CAF member in full uniform wearing a Palestinian-style keffiyeh, a clothing item frequently used today by activists to show solidarity...

Source: Facebook

Author: Clayton DeMaine

A Canadian military organization shared a photo last week of a CAF member in full uniform wearing a Palestinian-style keffiyeh, a clothing item frequently used today by activists to show solidarity with anti-Israel terrorist groups such as the PLO and Hamas.

The Canadian Joint Operations Command shared the photo to promote “World Radio Day” as the fully uniformed individual kneels over a map with a radio and a rifle underarm. Notably, the servicemember is not in a desert setting – where historically keffiyeh’s or shemaghs, as they are alternatively known, have been worn by non-Arab soldiers to protect their faces from sand.

The scarf around his neck appears to be a keffiyeh. This traditional Middle Eastern headscarf has been used as a symbol of armed resistance against Israel since the Arab revolt in the English territory of Palestine in 1936 during the period known as the “Arab Revolt.”

The two main demands of the armed uprising were an end to Jewish immigration and an end to the British occupation of the region. The rebels’ leadership ordered every man to wear the keffiyeh to show solidarity and give cover to the fighters who wore them so the British wouldn’t be able to distinguish combatants from civilians.

Later, the headscarf became repopularized by the former leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization, a listed terrorist entity in Canada, Yasser Arafat. Arafat famously shaped the keffiyeh into a map of Palestine, which included Israel. It’s used today by anti-Israel protesters to show solidarity with the people of Palestine against Israelis. It has also been worn by anti-Israel terrorists in the killing of Israeli citizens.

“The clothing article in question, and as appearing within said photo, is a remnant of Afghanistan-era garb as worn by many soldiers during and since that mission, particularly during training events and exercises,” Cheryl Forrest a representative for the Department of National Defence told True North. “Members have certain discretion to wear preferred articles of clothing to guard against the elements, notably during training activities, provided these items comply with dress standards.”

A look at the Facebook post by the CJOC shows viewers of the post engaging in it as if it were a political statement. One user said, “Free Palestine,” and used a Palestinian flag emoji. Another man took the opposite stance, saying “ “Why is a Canadian Soldier wearing a symbol of a terror group? I’m shocked.”

Craig Hood, a 33-year CAF veteran and former executive director for the Nova Scotia Legion, told True North that the post was likely not a political statement but advised the DND to stop the practice of wearing “such items.”

Hood served in both the regular and reserve forces and was deployed to Bosnia in 1997 and Afghanistan in 2008. He said there were moments in his service where the use of headscarves or “Shemaghs” was commonplace in the armed forces.

“There was a time during Afghanistan when Shemaghs were popular. I had an olive drab and black one. Might have had a black and white one,” he said.

Hood said he “highly” doubted the photo shared by the DND organization was worn as a symbol of solidarity with the PLO.

“One could possibly argue that it is worn for the opposite reasons or simply because it’s warm. So, I would not read too deeply to try and find a strong political meaning,” he said.

“However, given the current political climate and the fact that the PLO is officially a terrorist group, as well as the fact that women and children in Israel are being murdered by those wearing this particular (headscarf), DND would be wise to put a stop to the practice of wearing such items.”

Amy Mek, the founder and Editor-in-Chief at an American “grassroots activist organization,” Rise Align Ignite Reclaim or RAIR, accused the Canadian military of promoting Hamas in the post.

“Justin Trudeau’s Canada is no longer just tolerating Islamic terrorists—it’s promoting it through the military itself,” Mek said in an X post.

She said the Keffiyeh is a “modern symbol of jihad, terrorism and the destruction of the Jewish State.”

“Meanwhile, his government silences critics of Islam, protects jihadi imams, funds terror-linked groups, and enforces speech laws that shield Islam while enabling anti-Jewish hate,” she said. “The message is clear: Under Trudeau, Canada has become a safe haven for Jihadis and a hostile land for Jews.”

David Cooper, the Vice President of Government Relations at the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, said the image is likely nothing to be up in arms about.

“Many Canadian soldiers have worn keffiyehs or similar garments during missions in Afghanistan and Africa due to the dusty and harsh conditions. Numerous publicly available photos document this practice,” he said. “The image on the Facebook page appears consistent with this practical use, rather than conveying any political message.”