Ontario Speaker Arnott's Keffiyeh Ban Sparks Protests, Partially Relaxed

May 6, 2024, 02:53 PM

In Ontario, a controversy has erupted over the keffiyeh, a traditional scarf, leading to a ban on its display inside the legislature's chamber by Speaker Arnott. This decision was met with backlash, including protests where participants waved keffiyehs, resulting in a ban from Queen's Park for four protesters. The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) criticized the ban as 'unjustifiable' and an 'unprecedented ruling,' announcing on Wednesday that several Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) would defy it. Although the ban was slightly relaxed, allowing the scarf in the legislative building but not in the chamber itself, it remains a contentious issue.