Shaimaa Al Jamous is a graduate at Centennial Collegiate in Saskatoon, and during her graduation ceremony had her Palestinian keffiyeh removed by the principal. (Courtesy: shaimaa._.1/TikTok)
A student at a Saskatoon high school is speaking out after a video went viral of her principal removing her Palestinian keffiyeh from her neck during her graduation ceremony.
The incident was captured in a video shared by The Brandon Gonez Show earlier this week. It shows the Centennial Collegiate student walking across the stage while putting on the traditional scarf, which is snatched moments later by the principal who hands her the diploma.
Student said moment shocked her
Speaking with The Brandon Gonez Show on Thursday, graduate Shaimaa Al Jamous said the principal’s action left her feeling shocked, and interrupted what was a special moment for her.
“I didn’t know what to do, but I am kind of proud of how I handled it. I just kept a smile on my face and didn’t cause a scene. It was definitely really heartbreaking because my celebration was cut short at that moment, which is really sad,” she said.
As explained by Al Jamous, the keffiyeh is a traditional Palestinian scarf which is a symbol of culture and identity. The graduate had decided to wear the keffiyeh as a way to represent young Palestinians who “did not get the choice to go to school or express themselves.”
“I wanted to use my special moment to just acknowledge these people, because they really do mean a lot to me, and I do have a deep connection with Palestinians,” she added.
School division says students were advised against alterations
In an email statement to The Brandon Gonez Show, a spokesperson for Saskatoon Public Schools, the school division that manages Centennial Collegiate, said students were warned against altering their caps and gowns prior to the graduation ceremony, as the school aimed to ensure consistency.
“Students were advised prior to the ceremony that graduation gowns and caps were not to be altered or accompanied by additional items during the ceremony,” the spokesperson wrote.
“This expectation applies consistently to all students and is intended to keep the focus on celebrating graduates and to maintain a consistent presentation throughout the ceremony.”
Other schools previously avoided political statements
This is not the first time conflicts have erupted in schools due to the use of messages perceived as political.
Last summer, the Parkdale Collegiate Institute (Parkdale CI) in Toronto’s west-end removed Grade 12 students’ yearbook quotes, after some of them included “Free Palestine” and “Free Tibet.”
At the time, the school board told The Brandon Gonez Show the decision was based on an Ontario Ministry of Education memo which outlined political statements in schools “should never be used as vehicles for political protests that enable inflammatory, discriminatory, and hateful content.”
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Saskatoon student hopes for apology
Despite the school board’s response, Al Jamous said she hopes to receive an apology from Centennial Collegiate, saying the principal’s action interfered with her graduation experience.
The high-school graduate said she also hopes other schools become more tolerant when it comes to students expressing themselves during graduation ceremonies.
“I hope that no students go through what I went through ever, because no student should feel humiliated or embarrassed on stage, and I hope that no other school does that to another student that wants to represent their culture or heritage,” she said.
The video posted by Al Jamous has reached over 16 million views in less than a week, and she hopes this outreach will lead to more respect and value towards students’ culture in schools.
“Palestinian culture is not a political statement, and I don’t think a piece of a scarf should be a threat to anyone, and I think when it comes to Palestinian culture, everyone just wants to silence [it], but that shouldn’t be OK.”
