By Eric L. Hinton - May 29, 2008
Every man, woman or child who wears a keffiyeh, a traditional Arab scarf often worn by Arab men, is apparently a terrorist.
At least, that's what conservative pundit Michelle Malkin would have you believe. That Malkin espouses this inane view is hardly surprising. Cut from the same cloth as her self-professed idol Ann Coulter, Malkin has defended the practice of racial profiling, has railed against undocumented immigrants and wrote a book defending the forced internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.
What is surprising--and troubling to many--is that she's gotten supposedly family-friendly Dunkin' Donuts to agree with her.
Dunkin' Donuts pulled an ad featuring Food Network star Rachael Ray because Ray was wearing what some perceived to be a keffiyeh. The ad incensed Malkin, who ranted on her web site, "The keffiyeh for the clueless, is the traditional scarf of Arab men that has come to symbolize murderous Palestinian jihad. Popularized by Yasser Arafat and a regular adornment of Muslim terrorists appearing in beheading and hostage-taking videos, the apparel has been mainstreamed by both ignorant (and not-so-ignorant) fashion designers, celebrities, and left-wing icons."
That Malkin and other conservative pundits of her ilk--such as Charles Johnson of Little Green Footballs who accused the chain of " Mainstreaming Terrorism to Sell Donuts"--sought to make this an issue is no surprise. But by capitulating and yanking the ad, Dunkin' Donuts gave the outlandish assertion the appearance of credibility, all the while insisting the scarf wasn't a keffiyeh at all.
"In a recent online ad, Rachael Ray is wearing a black-and-white silk scarf with a paisley design," Dunkin' Donuts said in a statement published on Boston.com. "It was selected by her stylist for the advertising shoot. Absolutely no symbolism was intended. However, given the possibility of misperception, we are no longer using the commercial."
On her web site, Malkin, the daughter of Filipino immigrants, quickly trumpeted Dunkin' Donuts' ad pull as a victory. She went on to liken the Muslim attire with that of clothing worn by the Ku Klux Klan. "It's refreshing to see an American company show sensitivity to the concerns of Americans opposed to Islamic jihad and its apologists," she wrote. "Too many of them bend over backwards in the direction of anti-American political correctness…It's just a scarf, the clueless keffiyeh-wearers scoff. Would they say the same of fashion designers who marketed modified Klan-style hoods in Burberry plaid as the next big thing?"
Arsalan Iftikhar, a contributor to both Islamica magazine and DiversityInc, said Malkin's claims are outlandish: "Of course the suggestion is ridiculous. There is absolutely nothing synonymous between the attire Ray is seen wearing and terrorism. Dunkin' Donuts is largely at fault for turning this into a bigger story by pulling the ad. I've actually debated Malkin before on other issues, and her views always leave me shaking my head."
Many, including MSNBC commentator Keith Olberman, have mocked both Malkin and Dunkin' Donuts for their actions. Olberman added Malkin to his "Worst People of the Day" countdown earlier this week, saying, "Now Dunkin' Donuts is sending secret pro-Arabic messages? Poor Michelle doesn't understand a spokesperson like Rachael Ray does not pick her own wardrobe for an advertisement. But here's the big point …So what if it's Middle Eastern?"
To see Olberman's complete video, click here.
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