The watermelon motif with the keffiyeh.

Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer

Dubai-based quilt brand Quild has released a series of watermelon-themed quilts in solidarity with the people of Gaza. All proceeds made from selling the quilts will go towards supporting people in Gaza and the West Bank. The quilts feature the symbolic black and white keffiyeh pattern on one side and a watermelon fruit print on the other. They are made of 100 per cent pure cotton and other natural and safe materials, and are suitable for adults and children alike. Britannica says that the keffiyeh is the headdress typically made of cotton and traditionally worn by men in parts of the Middle East. The black-and-white checkered keffiyeh, which represents the Palestinian liberation movement, is also worn to convey political sentiments.

Farida Talaat, Founder of Quild said that “as an Arab, Palestine runs deep in my veins. In solidarity with the Palestinian cause, we have created these unique hand-made quilts featuring the iconic watermelon. We hope to offer some warmth and comfort to those affected through these donations.” In recent times, watermelon slices have emerged as a symbol of unity with Palestine, as they depict the red triangle within the Palestinian flag, and contain the flag’s colours of red, white and green.

Quild’s support of Palestine is nothing new — earlier in 2024, the brand produced a series of Star of Bethlehem quilts, which is yet another symbol of the occupied country. This was in addition to the Quild’s participation in a number of charity and community initiatives across the UAE. Quild is a Dubai homegrown brand specialising in modern, one-of-a-kind quilts and quilted products. Combining traditional quilting techniques with contemporary designs, it offers sustainable, handmade items crafted from high quality material.

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Dedicated to slow fashion and environmental responsibility, the brand strives to create unique, timeless pieces that blend art and functionality. Quild is also a sustainable brand that employs a little- to no-waste policy. Wikipedia notes that the watermelon is a symbol of Palestinians’ public expression in protests and artworks representing the struggle against the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories. The Palestinian flag, coloured in the Pan-Arab colours of red, green, white and black, had been banned in Israel in certain situations. It led to the locally-grown and similarly-coloured watermelon taking its place in Palestinian iconography as an alternative, for decades. In 2023, the Israeli Ministry of National Security banned the Palestinian flag in public places. In response, many Israelis displayed watermelon stickers saying “This is not a Palestinian flag.” Since the outbreak of the Israel and Hamas-led war in 2023, the watermelon symbol has experienced a resurgence in popularity.

 Farida Talaat’s Quild is helping Gaza.

“A growing number of individuals are leveraging it, often using watermelon emojis on various social media platforms to show support for Palestine,” says Wikipedia. “Particularly, the symbol may be used to circumvent censorship and shadow banning on some platforms, avoiding more overt symbols such as Palestinian flags.” Shadow banning means to block a user from a social media site or online forum without their knowledge, by making their posts and comments no longer visible to other users.

PBS or Public Broadcasting Service, the US organisation broadcasting generally educational and cultural television programmes paid for by the people than advertisers, notes that “the colours of sliced watermelon — with red pulp, green-white rind and black seeds — are the same as those on the Palestinian flag. From New York and Tel Aviv to Belgrade, the fruit (watermelon) has become a symbol of solidarity, drawing together activists who don’t speak the same language or belong to the same culture, but share a common cause.”

On banners and T-shirts and balloons and social media posts, the watermelon imagery has emerged around the world, standing against the war. Watermelons, PBS further adds, have long been a staple of food in the region, with some dishes, like a popular salad in southern Gaza, originating with Bedouin Arab tribes. And increasingly, young activists have also adopted the watermelon emoji, in calling for a cease-fire in Gaza. “With the watermelon (emoji), I think this is actually really the first time where I’ve seen it widely used as a stand-in. And that to me marks a notable uptick in censorship of Palestinian content,” says Jillian York, the director for international freedom of expression at the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

In the United States, Jewish Voice for Peace amplified watermelon imagery in calling for a cease-fire in Gaza. The group held signs in New York in the colours of the Palestinian flag and with triangular watermelons. Another reason the watermelon might resonate is that it has seeds. There is a saying, often attributed to the Greek poet Dinos Christianopoulos, that is popular among activists: “They wanted to bury us; they didn’t know we were seeds.”

“You might be able to smash a watermelon. You might be able to destroy a fruit, but the seed is a little harder to crush,” says Shawn Escarciga, artist. “It’s really powerful that life can come out of something so small and something so resilient — and that it can be spread so, so easily. Artists have always been at the forefront of revolution, resistance, politics, in varying degrees. We’re seeing Palestinian flags being banned, even the emoji online being flagged — and, you know, the word ‘Palestine’ being censored online. But having this image that transcends language, that transcends culture, that transcends algorithms — can really reach people.”