Exposed: The John Lewis hijabs made by firm that posted shocking image glorifying the October 7 massacre on Instagram page

John Lewis was last night under fire for selling hijabs made by a fashion firm that posted a shocking image online depicting Hamas terrorists attacking Israel on October 7 using a paraglider and bulldozer.

The retailer this weekend appeared to have suspended sales of head scarves and other clothing by Beirut-based manufacturer Bokitta after The Mail on Sunday uncovered a series of troubling online posts by the company and its co-founder.

Bokitta, which describes itself as a ‘contemporary hijab and clothing brand for modern and practical Muslim women’, sells its £35 hijabs via John Lewis’s website, along with its £70 ‘Premium Prayer Set’, which includes robes and a headscarf.

But an investigation by this newspaper discovered that 11 days after the massacres by Hamas on October 7, 2023, an image was posted on Bokitta’s official Instagram page depicting a Hamas terrorist flying a paraglider in front of a Palestinian flag.

The image also included a Hamas bulldozer smashing through Israel’s border fence and a Palestinian keffiyeh scarf in the shape of Israel.

Meanwhile, on October 7 itself, the company’s co-founder and design director, Hala Absi, shared a clip of a news report about the Hamas onslaught, along with a caption in which she branded Israelis ‘oppressors’. ‘May God protect our brothers and sisters in Palestine and grant us victory over the oppressors,’ she wrote.

John Lewis this weekend launched an investigation and both posts were taken down. In a nine-word statement, it said: ‘We weren’t aware of these comments and are investigating.’

Bokitta’s clothing was yesterday no longer available to buy from John Lewis’s website.

Bokitta, which describes itself as a ‘contemporary hijab and clothing brand for modern and practical Muslim women’, sells its £35 hijabs via John Lewis’s website

Pictured: A post shared by Bokitta  depicting a Hamas terrorist flying a paraglider in front of a Palestinian flag

Adam Ma’anit, an Israeli living in the UK, whose cousin Tsachi was kidnapped on October 7 and later killed by Hamas, called on the retailer to apologise and to cut all ties with Bokitta.

‘John Lewis is a national treasure,’ he said. ‘When our daughter was born we bought her buggy and baby clothes there.

‘To see them entangled with a company that celebrated October 7 is a stab to the heart.

‘John Lewis claims to have strong ethics. They need to prove it by severing all ties with Bokitta and issuing a public apology.’

John Lewis is understood to have been selling Bokitta’s clothing for at least three years. In September 2023 Bokitta opened a temporary ‘pop up’ outlet in John Lewis’s flagship department store in Stratford, east London.

Formed in 2009 by Mubde Absi in Beirut, Lebanon, Bokitta declares on its website that it supports a ‘free Palestine’ and sells a sweater emblazoned with the Palestinian flag, the profits from which ‘will go to Palestine’.

Its website also includes a series of controversial blog posts, including one about the Nakba – the displacement of Palestinians in 1948 for the founding of Israel.

Astonishingly, the article was accessed via a drop-down menu via the labels ‘Jews’ and ‘Zionist Movement’. The ‘Jews’ label was removed after it was flagged by the MoS last week.

Hamas paragliders during the October 7 attacks 

Hamas bulldozes through a fence at the start of its attack on Israel on October 7 2023 

A free Palestine headscarf sold by Bokitta. The clothing was yesterday no longer available to buy from John Lewis’s website

The article states ‘At Bokitta we support a free Palestine’, adding: ‘Israel is doing nothing short of long-term ethnic cleansing that aims to remove Palestinians, their culture, and their traditions from their land.’

Bokitta yesterday said the image depicting the bulldozer and paraglider was not created by the company and was ‘shared quickly and without the scrutiny it required’.

‘We recognise that it contains imagery associated with the events of 7 October, during which civilians were attacked and killed,’ the company said.

‘We condemn those attacks on civilians. The image should not have been shared as is, and it has been removed.

‘Our intention was solidarity with Palestinian civilians, not support for any armed group or for violence against civilians.’

It said Ms Absi was not voicing support for the attacks, adding: ‘The caption [on the Instagram post] was a prayer for the protection of the Palestinian people… not an endorsement of violence.’

It added: ‘Bokitta and its co-founder Hala Absi support the Palestinian people’s right to freedom and dignity, and peaceful advocacy on their behalf, including boycotts. We do not support terrorism, and we condemn the deliberate killing of civilians, whether Israeli or Palestinian, before, on and since 7 October 2023.’

Ms Absi said: ‘I do not support terrorism, and I condemn the killing of civilians, whether Israeli or Palestinian, before, on and since 7 October 2023.’