A Sydney teenager has filed a complaint with the Australian Human Rights Commission after he was banned from attending his coming school formal because he wore a scarf with the keffiyeh pattern to his graduation ceremony.

The teenager, who requested not to be identified, said staff members accused him of making a political statement and prevented him from posing with friends and a senior staff member for a group photograph while he wore his scarf.

The 17-year-old said his older sister handed him the garment as he waited to receive his graduation certificate so he could wear the symbol of his Palestinian heritage on the most important day of his schooling life.

But when the teenager returned to his seat, staff members approached him twice and told him to hand over his scarf.

Two weeks later, the teenager was called to a senior staff member’s office and told that he was not permitted to attend his year 12 formal – to be held next Thursday, November 28 – as a result of his decision to wear the scarf.

    • That isn’t even what happened though. It sounds like she would have given it to him to wear regardless, as it’s an important and special day, and she wanted him to get to be proud of his heritage. It’s just that because of current events the school treated it like a protest. Some teachers can be the most self-aggrandising cunts about things.

      • Seagoon_ ( Seagoon_@aussie.zone ) 
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        2 years ago

        It’s some people’s heritage to wear nazi swastikas. Doesn’t mean it’s acceptable.

        I don’t think wearing a symbol started by the guy who invented airplane hijacking and suicide vests for children is a good one.

        • sunbather ( sunbather@beehaw.org ) 
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          2 years ago

          what exactly are you talking about? quick google tells me these have been used since at least the 1910s and while my history isnt the greatest i think that was a while before plane hijackings became a thing. comparing wearing a historical article of clothing to brandishing swastikas is also plain ignorant, especially seeing as the swastika itself was a stolen symbol that people should rightfully be able to wear in its original sense

    • notgold ( notgold@aussie.zone ) 
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      2 years ago

      Bringing attention to world events is not a problem but that is not the place for it. Schools want to be as partisan as possible and allowing kids to wear symbols of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds can make the look partial. Another reason is that these symbols have different meanings to different people. I love the eureka flag as a symbol of Victorians rising up against against injustice, unfortunately in the public eye this symbol has become synonymous with racism and hatred. This double/multiple definition means that school can’t look impartial if there are students displaying the symbol.