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 keffiyeh head scarves, an emblem of Palestinian solidarity, Al Jazeera reported.
The museum, founded nearly 40 years ago by Japanese-American designer and sculptor Isamu Noguchi, announced in August that employees could not wear clothing or accessories that expressed “political messages, slogans or symbols” during their working hours.
“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 New York Times first reported the news, Al Jazeera report noted.