2/21/2009 Maan News Agency

Saturday 21 / 02 / 2009

Israel shells Lebanon after rocket lands in Galilee Israeli forces seize three P

Director of Palestinian center laments corruption of national icon

Jerusalem
Date: 07 / 10 / 2008 Time: 22:21 Print Preview
Bethlehem
Bethlehem – Ma’an – The director of a Send to friend
Ramallah Palestinian cultural center accused Israel on
Hebron Tuesday of “stealing and distorting”
traditional Palestinian cultural icons.
Nablus
Speaking during the country’s annual
Jenin
Palestinian Cultural Heritage Day, Maha As-
Tulkarem Saqa “expressed astonishment” over what
she called the “robbery of Palestinian
Qalqilia heritage.”
Jericho
Pointing to the Palestinian kuffiyah, a
Gaza Strip traditional men’s headdress, As-Saqa said Maha Saca [Ma'anImages]
the garment was a symbol of the Palestinian
people, as well as revolutionaries all over the world, but that it was “being stolen by
Israelis and distorted by others in a way that harms its status.”

Who will rule Israel? The director visited Ma’an’s office in Bethlehem accompanied by several unusual kuffiyah
styles. Among them was one headdress designed to resemble the Israeli flag, colored blue
Livni and Barak and white, with an embroidered Jewish Star of David, an Israeli symbol. Others were
multicolored, sold to tourists in Bethlehem as “Carnival Kuffiyahs.”
Netanyahu and
Barak As-Saqa blamed Palestinian officials, namely the tourism ministry, asking, “How could such
Netanyahu and a symbol of the Palestinian people be distorted in such a way?”
Lieberman
The kuffiyah became a symbol of Palestinian revolutionaries in the 1930s. As British
Livni and Mandate forces began to recognize fighters by their distinctive headdresses, the
Netanyahu commander of the Palestinian Revolution instructed all residents to wear the garment to
Other confuse authorities.

It was not until the late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat rose to power at the beginning
Vote / Results of the 1960s that the kuffiyah became so widely associated with the Palestinian people.

As-Saqa, who operates her organization’s website (www.phc.ps), even suggested altering
the Palestinian flag in order to display the kuffiya as a symbol clearly associated the
Palestine.
Peres asks
Netanyahu to She also suggested that the Palestinian Authority (PA) follow the route taken by Greece
form next and Lebanon, two countries that filed legal challenges to Israel’s “theft” of cultural foods,
Israeli claiming they belonged to Israel.
government But the community director said she was disappointed in how little interest residents took in
Palestinian Heritage Day.
One injured,
one arrested “I called schools to ask what they had prepared for the day and found they had prepared
as clashes nothing!” she said. When questioned the Palestinian cultural ministry, she was told the
erupt near municipality could not afford it.
Hebron
“They told me there isn’t enough money in their budget,” she said.
Gunmen attack
Palestinian
newspaper
office for third
time

Hamas denies
sending Obama
letter via
visiting US
senator

maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=Sh… 1/2
2/21/2009 Maan News Agency
Clashes
reported in
southern Gaza
as mortars
strike Israel

maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=Sh… 2/2