But it is also not unusual to see a black and white scarf around the necks of other men on Amman’s streets. The black and white checkered kuffiyeh is a sign of Palestinian pride, a symbol worn by much of the Jordanian population who was born in Palestine, or whose families are from there. Between a third and a half of Jordan’s population are “West Bankers,” Palestinians from across the Jordan River.
After the creation of Israel in 1948, many Palestinian refugees fled to Jordan, where many of them later received status as Jordanian citizens. Jordan controlled the land now known as the West Bank from 1948 until 1967, when another large influx of Palestinians took refuge in Jordan. Though many of these West Bankers are Jordanian citizens, most of them still retain an identity that is closely tied with Palestine.
Because this large Palestinian population depends on Jordan’s resources, jobs, and security in order to survive, tension has grown between the West Bankers and original Jordanians, East Bankers.
This tension, and the red and black scarves that often illustrate the divide between East and West Bankers, were literally on center stage at the University of Jordan, where I studied in Amman. An all-male cast of students performed a timely and politically charged play about what many see as the single obstacle preventing Jordan from real prosperity and unity: tension and lack of trust between Jordanians and Palestinians.
On a campus recreated using paint and props, actors staged a fight scene between Jordanian and Palestinian students, something that occasionally breaks out in between classes. The red and black scarves clearly demonstrated the line between the two groups in the argument. After the confrontation, the students stormed away, intentionally forgetting their shared history and experiences and not realizing their common goals.
This divide between East and West Bankers, the play claimed, is not productive, and is often taken advantage of by the Israelis, who want to weaken the Arabs’ ability to challenge their power. A few scenes showed the Israeli military plotting to exacerbate these tensions by infiltrating the school community and encouraging discord between Jordanians and Palestinians.
At the end of the play, angered by their discovery of the Israeli plot, the Jordanian and Palestinian students actively decide to overcome their minor differences and embrace their greater commonalities. The Jordanians give their red scarves to the Palestinians, and the Palestinians drape their black scarves around the necks of their new Jordanian friends.
If the message of unity wasn’t implicitly clear from this grand gesture, the play’s writer made its message explicit. After thanking all those who made the play possible, he said, “The Mississippi River doesn’t divide the United States, so why should the Jordan River divide us?”
This powerful sentiment is not shared by all West and East Bankers in Jordan, but it is one important and major thread in the political fabric there. And while many might not agree with the message of the play, they can’t argue about the success that the medium of theatre had in conveying that sentiment.
As the political tensions surrounding issues like the economy, the Arab Spring, and refugees continue to grow, we can expect to see Jordanian theatre and other art media provide a place where passionate people not only discuss these problems, but also offer solutions.
(A related note: The black and white kuffiyeh in particular has become somewhat of a fashion item in the United States, worn by young people who often fail to understand the strong political symbol and statement they wear around their necks. Wearing the scarf tells others, “I support the Palestinian people and reject the oppression and injustice that the Israel government and military has imposed upon them and their land.” For some who wear it, the message goes even further to deny Israel’s claim over the Holy Land at all. No matter what Americans believe about the conflict, they should be aware about what the kuffiyeh means, and not simply use this political symbol as a fashion accessory.)
