A few years ago, the Palestinian keffiyeh became a fashion item, with hundreds of thousands being sold across the world. With this surge in popularity, the significance and symbolism of the keffiyeh (or 'Hatta as it is often known in Palestine) was lost.

The keffiyeh is not unique to Palestinians, but it has come to represent a part of our Palestinian identity, at least as much as the flag. Although originally worn by farmers and countryfolk in Palestine, it was increasingly adopted by all Palestinian Arabs - Muslims, Christians and Jews-  as they rebelled against colonial occupation in the 1930s. It became even more prominent after the establishment of Israel and Israel's occupation of the whole of Palestine when Arafat, as the leader of the Palestinians, started to wear it in the 1960s.

Our t-shirts here make a statement that the keffiyeh is not about fashion. It is a symbol of the Palestinian people's struggle for freedom. Palestinians today are either exiled outside of their homeland, or live under Israeli occupation in the West Bank and Gaza, or live as second class citizens inside the state of Israel. None of them enjoy their rights to statehood and equality as Palestinians.

The keffiyeh is not about fashion, it is about freedom.

Please note that t-shirts and hoodies are send separately to other items in the Hope and Play shop.