But Ms Tieger said she had "no idea about the politics" when she bought the scarf at the Tree Of Life store. "I thought it was a nice scarf, a cowboy scarf. I thought: 'It's black and white, no-one will say anything to me because that's all we can wear [with our work uniform]'.

"A Palestinian customer came up and asked me if I'm wearing this scarf as a fashion statement or for political reasons. "I had no idea what he was talking about because I don't follow politics at all. I just laughed it off. "Two days later he called and complained about it."

Shevonne Hunt, a freelance journalist who has reported on the keffiyeh's popularity in Australia, said many Palestinians were annoyed the widespread use of the keffiyeh for fashion had watered down its meaning. Ms Tieger continued: "A few days after that, I wore the scarf again. A few customers started to complain who were Jewish; there's a lot of Jewish people in the area.

"My boss said 'Could you please take it off, we have to be neutral'." After allegedly explaining she was wearing the scarf for style reasons only, Ms Tieger said her manager told her: "You shouldn't be wearing it, not here." "I said: "They're selling it everywhere, there's no escape."'

The incident upset Ms Tieger and she started crying. Kemeny's groceries manager Alex Hoffman said Ms Tieger had not been bullied. "That's just total nonsense," he said.

He said Ms Tieger had been asked "politely to take the scarf off" after a regular customer took offence to it. "They came in and complained to her about the scarf because it had some religious significance to them. "We approached [Ms Tieger] and raised the matter with her and asked her if she was aware [the scarf could represent a political symbol] and she said: 'What's the big deal?'.

"She used the argument that it was a fashion item. "So we didn't know what reason she was wearing it for. I even asked her if she had a cold because if she did, we might re-consider it. But she said no."

Mr Hoffman said Ms Tieger had become emotional about the request very quickly. "We find the notion quite silly because it evolved from nothing." Ms Tieger was working at the store today, but Mr Hoffman said he had not spoken to her about the incident today.

"It's quite awkward," Ms Tieger said. "This is a very stressful job for a casual," the university biotechnology student said.

She now only wears the contentious scarf indoors, she said. "It's in my drawer, I feel very uncomfortable wearing it now, I don't wear it on the street anymore." US commentator Michelle Malkin described the scarf's use in the Dunkin' Donuts ad as "clueless sporting of a jihadi chic keffiyeh".

"Anti-American fashion designers abroad and at home have mainstreamed and adapted the scarves as generic pro-Palestinian jihad or anti-war statements. "Yet many folks out there remain completely oblivious to the apparel's violent symbolism and anti-Israel overtones."

NSW Jewish Board of Deputies CEO Vic Alhadeff said the wearing of the keffiyeh as a fashion item was a "non-issue". "It's a non-issue as far as we are concerned. If someone chooses to wear such an item for whatever reason that's their choice."