Rachel Ray is in the news. Apparently the scarf she chose to use in her commercial shoot for Dunkin’ Donuts coffee is some sort of anti-Jewish symbol for terrorists and sympathizers. In order to avoid any confusion over the issue, Dunkin Donuts has decided to pull the commercial, sending it to the oubliette where no doubt they hope it will be forgotten.
Prominent bloggers on the right like Michelle Malkin have compared this scarf to a item of middle eastern origin called a keffiyeh. A keffiya is a traditional Arab headdress worn by men, especially in rural areas. In the 1960’s this traditional headdress was popularized in urban areas by leaders such as Yasser Arafat. Through this medium the keffiya has apparently become synonymous with the Palestinian cause and anti-Jewish sentiment in the Middle East. Many pro-Palestinian activists in the United States have in fact chosen to wear the keffiya during political demonstrations to display their solidarity with the PLO.
While the scarf worn by Rachel Ray in the Dunkin Donuts commercial is obviously a keffiya or at least some kind of knock off, I have my doubts that this scarf is an international sign of allegiance to global Jihad. I figured it’s just a sign of the West’s fascination with Arabic culture and romanticizing of anything perceived to be exotic. And I certainly understand why anyone genuinely concerned about preserving our culture and liberty from a fanatical sect of Islam might raise an eyebrow at such a display, but it’s not as if she went on TV wearing a swastika. And comparing it to a KKK hood is just a tidbit over the top. To me it really just looks like an article of clothing.
Wouldn’t it be equally rash to assume that a baseball cap symbolizes pro-Israel sentiments or that an Irish wool tweed hat means the wearer is a supporter of the IRA? Let’s be realistic here. The Jihadist conspiracy is a very real concern today and as concerned citizens we need to be vigilant in our own ways to combat this menace, but in so doing we need to have the good sense to not go around tilting at windmills.
Filed under: Religion/Spirituality, culture, politics | Tagged: culture, dunkin donuts, politics, rachel ray
Oh please. Take a look at the scarf, it’s PAISLEY, for chrissake. Women (and some men, like interior designers) have been wearing scarves for years. has nothing to do with palestinians or terrorists. It has to do with it being a fashion accessory. Sometimes a scraf is just a scarf.
And isn’t it a coincidence that DD is owned by the Carlyle Gorup?
Clearly, some people have such a short attention span that they don’t even take the time to read the entire article before venting their oppinion.