Jhumpa Lahiri Declines Award Over New York Museum’s Keffiyeh Ban

WASHINGTON — Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri has declined the 2024 Isamu Noguchi Award in protest of the Noguchi Museum’s decision to fire three employees for wearing keffiyeh scarves, a symbol of Palestinian solidarity. The museum recently updated its dress code policy to prohibit employees from wearing anything that expresses political messages or symbols, leading to the dismissal of the workers.

Lahiri, known for her Pulitzer Prize-winning book Interpreter of Maladies, withdrew her acceptance of the award in response. The museum acknowledged her decision, stating, “We respect her perspective and understand that this policy may or may not align with everyone’s views.”

The keffiyeh, often worn by protesters supporting Palestinian self-determination, has become a symbol of solidarity with Palestine. The museum’s policy sparked controversy, particularly in the context of the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict, which has claimed thousands of lives and displaced nearly all residents of Gaza.

This is not the first time individuals in the U.S. have faced professional consequences for their stance on the conflict. A Palestinian American nurse in New York City was fired earlier this year after referring to Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide.”