Rachel Ray made a commercial for Dunkin Donuts, and a stealth stylist slipped an offensive scarf around her neck, that the educated viewers instantly recognized. Those Islamic terrorists are thumbing their noses at us again. Michelle Malkin explains:

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.

Three years ago, pop singer Ricky Martin donned a traditional red-checked keffiyeh with the phrase “Jerusalem is ours” inscribed in Arabic. Apologizing for his obliviousness, Martin said: “I had no idea that the kaffiyeh scarf presented to me contained language referring to Jerusalem, and I apologize to anyone who might think I was endorsing its message.”

Dunkin Donuts responded to complaints about the scarf:

“Thank you for expressing your concern about the Dunkin’ Donuts advertisement with Rachael Ray. In the ad that you reference, Rachael is wearing a black-and-white silk scarf with a paisley design that was purchased at a U.S. retail store. It was selected by the stylist for the advertising shoot. Absolutely no symbolism was intended. However, given the possibility of misperception, we will no longer use the commercial.”

Dunkin Donuts received so many complaints about the scarf, they pulled the ad. Michelle Malkin commented on the decision:

It’s refreshing to see an American company show sensitivity to the concerns of Americans opposed to Islamic jihad and its apologists. Too many of them bend over backwards in the direction of anti-American political correctness. Naturally, liberal commentators on the Internet are now up in arms over Dunkin Donut’s decision to yank the ad and mock anyone who expresses concern over the keffiyeh’s symbolism.

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? Fashion statements may seem insignificant, but when they lead to the mainstreaming of violence—unintentionally or not–they matter. Ignorance is no longer an excuse. In post-9/11 America, vigilance must never go out of style.

Rachel Ray, and all celebrities, need to be very careful when they endorse a product. It could hurt their career. Look at Oprah. Her TV show ratings, and sales of her magazine and other products, have declined significantly since she supported Barack Obama, and he became the center of a nasty controversy involving his spiritual adviser Reverend Jeremiah Wright.

© Copyright HollywoodGrind 2006 - 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Related posts:

• Tori Spelling and Rachael Ray do the Potty Dance
• Rachael Ray Show Sued by Former Accountant
• Rosie Returns to TV
• Rachel Ray Gets Pie to the Face by Food Blog
• Naomi Campbell Goes Dunkin Donuts Crazy