Vote fails to overturn keffiyeh ban at Queen’s Park

The KAFIA is a common sight at pro Palestinian rallies like this one. It’s that political connection that led to the speaker’s ban on it inside the legislature. But the scarf also has a long cultural history. Today, the NDP Leader proposed this motion that this house acknowledged that the KAFIA is a culturally significant clothing item to many in Ontario’s Palestinian, Muslim and Arab communities. She’d already written to the Speaker last week about this. Last night, the Premier put out a statement also opposing the ban. So did the Liberal leader. The Premier today repeated that the ban should go. Why divide the community even more than it’s already divided? So this morning the Speaker told MPPS he could reverse it. As Speaker, I am the servant of this House. But the motion for Moritz Stiles required unanimous consent. Agreed. Agreed. I heard some nose. PC Robin Martin was one of those no’s. We can’t wear T-shirts that say free the hostages or, you know, wrap ourselves in a flag or whatever. We have to. We have to follow the rules of the legislature, otherwise we politicize the entire debate. She was asked if she’s defying the premier with her vote. It has nothing to do with the premier. It’s a decision of the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly. All the opposition parties want the ban lifted. Premier indicated his support. I think the premier needs to now make sure that his caucus does the right thing. I’ve seen Kafias all my life. It’s a cultural expression. It shouldn’t be something that we have to debate. But given the vote, the Speaker isn’t backing down. There’s a political aspect to to all of this. We were in a political environment. It’s not unusual that people would seek to make a political point, he says. This first came to him as a complaint when the Kafia was warned by an MPP. Independent member Sarah JAMA says she was told to remove hers back in February. Over and over again we’re seeing policy and decision making that continues to say, you know, we can’t talk about Palestine, people are not allowed to show their culture in that place and we’re going to continue to shut down any conversation around Palestine at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. She also doesn’t shy away from the politics of this issue. The Ford government voted to ban her from speaking inside the house after a social media post shortly after the conflict started between Israel and Hamas, mentioning the effect on Palestinians, not Israelis, and refusing to apologize. I ground my words in the realities of the Israeli apartheid and Israel’s ongoing domination and occupation, the Jewish group In a Breath Canada posted online in support of the ban. We believe it is unfortunate that a symbol of cult of the cultural heritage of the region has been corrupted by radical elements within our society. The ban is in place everywhere inside the legislature building, not just in the chamber. There already are strict rules at Queens Park. Hockey jerseys aren’t allowed, for example, without a motion of unanimous consent. It’s the same with symbols like ribbons in support of A cause. One Palestinian community member says the KAFIA is important. It is something that ties me to my ancestors in Palestine and Lebanon. It is something that I’ve been wearing more often to express my identity as a way to resist the attempts to silence me, my community, to try to erase me from the narrative. As for what happens now, someone could bring up a similar motion, and then another vote would happen. Lorenda Radakop, CBC News, Toronto.