New York City's Noguchi Museum announced Wednesday it fired three employees for wearing keffiyeh head scarves, which have become a symbol of the pro-Palestine movement. The museum said the scarves violated its policy against "political messages, slogans or symbols."
The museum further stated that while it recognizes the "intention" behind the scarves "was to express personal views," it claimed that "such expressions can unintentionally alienate segments of our diverse visitorship."
If you're an American who supports Palestine, you probably live in constant fear of losing your job. The US is home to the most powerful colleges, media companies, and corporations, all of which work in tandem to promote Israel's genocidal ambitions and crush all dissenting voices. It's sad that after all these institutions came together in solidarity with other groups of color, they're now refusing to do so when it comes to Palestinians.
Despite what you may hear from pro-Palestine activists, the black and white keffiyeh being worn today is not just a head scarf in solidarity with Palestinian civilians. In fact, many of these scarves display the symbol of the Al Aqsa mosque and the statement "Jerusalem is ours"—a message not of peace but rather the destruction of Israel. Due to this, it's completely understandable for a company to ask its employees not to wear pro-terrorist clothing.