Kufiyyak gaining popularity in America: Hirbawi says sales have soared

Washington: Kufiyyak, the traditional Palestinian headdress, is gaining popularity in the United States. Americans are taking to the streets wearing kufiyas in support of the Palestinian people and in protest against Israel. U.S. distributors say sales of kufiyya have soared since Israel began its offensive on Gaza in October.

People show up at Palestinian solidarity rallies wearing kufiyas and holding up in protests against Israel. There are also reports of the security forces forcibly removing those who wear the kufiya. Abusive words are also used against those who wear kufiya.

“Sales were like lightning. Hundreds of people came to buy kufiyas from the website at the same time. As many people as possible bought”: says Azar Aghayev, the US distributor of kufiya maker Hirbawi. Founded in 1961, Hirbawi is the only remaining kufiya maker in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

We ran out of stock in just two days. Asar says that it is not finished, it is bought by people. People have bought more than they need, he said.

Hirbawi is sold internationally through US and German websites and Amazon. The brand also has a patent. A black and white colored kufiyya is traditional. Apart from this, Azar said, Hirbawi calls for 40 types of kufiyas, including red and white. All these are usually out of stock as soon as they are brought to the market. The demand is increasing day by day.

In the 56 days between October 7 and December 2, Kufiyya’s unit sales were up 75 percent compared to the previous period, data from e-commerce analytics firm Jungle Scout showed. The number of internet searches for ‘Palestinian scarf for women’ has increased by 159 per cent over the past three months. Searches go like “military scarf shemag”, “kufiyya Palestine”, “kufiyya”.

Kufiyyah is characterized by two-color net-like patterns. Dating back to 3100 BC, the kufiyyah is a common headdress throughout the Arab world. It first emerged as a symbol of Palestinian resistance during the 1936 Arab Revolt against British rule. It later became the signature of Yasser Arafat, the leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization.

Hirbawi is the best known maker of Kufiyyah. Small producers are also present. Luxury goods manufacturer Louis Vuitton sold a version of the kufiyya in 2021.