URGENT ALERT FROM THE ARAB AMERICAN INSTITUTE
This is not the work we normally do, but we were so upset by these two stories that we felt we had to act.
This week added insult to injury:
1) Insult
Dunkin Donuts ran an ad with Rachael Ray (America's favorite 30-minute cook)...Yes, that's a kaffiyeh!
We take delight in the way the kaffiyeh, a traditional peasant head covering, has become a fashionable part of U.S. pop culture. And here it was in a Dunkin Donuts ad!
But not so fast, said Michelle Malkin - a far right buffoon who often utters anti-Arab and anti-Muslim sentiments. Malkin accused Dunkin Donuts of failing to recognize that the kaffiyeh "symbolizes murderous Palestinian jihad" and is "a regular adornment of Muslim terrorists appearing in beheading and hostage-taking videos."
Instead of weathering the silly dust-up, Dunkin Donuts folded and pulled the ad.
We cannot tolerate a situation where Michelle Malkin defines what is culturally acceptable, in effect becoming the P.C. Czarina of the far right.
Tell Dunkin Donuts to reinstate the online ad, and let them know that they should not be bullied by petty bloggers. Make your voice heard.
The head of marketing at Dunkin Donuts is Frances Allen; her e-mail address is frances.allen@dunkinbrands.com
The Dunkin Donuts Customer Care service line: (800) 859-5339. Be patient calling this number, it takes some time to get through. You can e-mail your concerns to customerservice@dunkinbrands.com or send a letter to:
Dunkin' Donuts Public Relations Department130 Royall StreetCanton, MA 02021Tel: 781.737.5200
2) Injury
Much more seriously, and even less explicably, as The New York Times and AP reported today, eight Palestinians in Gaza have lost their Fulbright scholarships.
Why?
Because the Israeli government would not let them out of Gaza, and the U.S. government never lifted a finger to help resolve the situation - and that is the most shameful aspect of the whole affair. U.S. silence.
Born of the same type of anti-Arab bias that fuels attacks on kaffiyehs in ads, this time it frustrated the purpose of one of the most prestigious U.S. public diplomacy programs, U.S. efforts to promote peace and build Palestinian civil institutions, and shattered the dreams of eight promising young people - people who are exactly what U.S. policy depends on. "I was building my hope on this scholarship," says one disappointed young woman who, according to the article in the New York Times, voluntarily remained in Gaza even as her family fled.This outrage should not be allowed to stand.
The Fulbright program provides life-changing opportunities for young men and women all over the world. Palestinians should not be denied the right to participate in this because of Israeli obstructionism, and the U.S. should not be silent in the face of this Israeli behavior.
Let the responsible parties know that you insist that the Fulbright scholarships be reinstated, and that Israel be pressed to allow the awardees to travel:
Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board ChairMs. Shirley Moore Green202.453.8189greenm@state.gov
Office of Israel and Palestinian AffairsPolitical Affairs OfficeMatthew Rosenstock(202) 647-1481rosentstockms@state.gov
Deputy Secretary of State for Visa ServicesStephen A. "Tony" Edson(202) 647-9584tonye@state.gov
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