Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
“The decision to ban the keffiyeh was made by the speaker and the speaker alone. I do not support his decision as it needlessly divides the people of our province,” Ford said in a statement issued Wednesday evening.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
Ford called on Arnott to reverse his decision “immediately.”
It is unclear when the members were most recently given direction not to wear the scarves, which are commonly worn by Arabs and serve as a symbol of the Palestinian resistance movement. However, in February, Arnott issued a reminder to members that the use of accessories as political messages is prohibited.
CTV News Toronto has reached out to Arnott's office for further clarity.
The premier's comments follow calls from several other Ontario politicians to reconsider the ban in the building.
Ontario New Democratic Party Leader Marit Stiles said Wednesday that “everyone [in Ontario] should be free to wear whatever piece of clothing proudly reflects their heritage” and that the legislature “should be no different.”
In a letter sent to Arnott on April 12, the Opposition leader said members of her staff have been asked to remove their keffiyehs before coming to work, which she called “unacceptable."
“The wearing of these important cultural and national clothing items in our Assembly is something we should be proud of,” Stiles said. “It is part of the story of who we are as a province. Palestinians are part of that story, and the keffiyeh is a traditional clothing item that is significant not only to them but to many members of Arab and Muslim communities.”
She said when she learned of the ruling, she urged Arnott to reconsider.
Independent MPP Sarah Jama, who has been ejected from the NDP and censured over her comments on the Palestinian resistance movement, also spoke out against the decision. Jama called the move a “forceful suppression of cultural identity.”
“This is unsurprising, but nonetheless concerning, in a country with an ongoing legacy of colonialism,” Jama wrote in a statement shared to social media.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.