New Delhi: Indian-origin Pulitzer prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri has declined to accept an award from New York City’s Noguchi Museum after it fired three employees for wearing clothing to signal solidarity with Palestinian in Gaza. The museum took the action against the staff for wearing Kaffiyehs despite an updated dress code.
“Jhumpa Lahiri has chosen to withdraw her acceptance of the 2024 Isamu Noguchi Award in response to our updated dress code policy,” the museum said in a statement on Wednesday.
“We respect her perspective and understand that this policy may or may not align with everyone’s views,” the statement on Lahiri said. “We remain committed to our core mission of advancing the understanding and appreciation of Isamu Noguchi’s art and legacy while upholding our values of inclusivity and openness.”
Lahiri received the Pulitzer Prize in 2000 for her book “Interpreter of Maladies.”
The museum, founded nearly 40 years ago by Japanese American designer Noguchi, updated dress code last month, directing its staff not to wear clothing or accessories that expressed “political messages, slogans or symbols” during working hours.
Keffiyeh head scarf, a symbol of Palestinian solidarity, have been worn by protesters across the world demanding an end to Israel’s war in Gaza.
Anti-apartheid South African leader Nelson Mandela has also been seen wearing the scarf on many occasions.
Israel’s supporters, on the other hand, say it signals backing extremism.
Tens of thousands of people have been killed in Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza. It followed a deadly attack by Palestinian Hamas militants on Israel on Oct. 7.
