Washington, DC – Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy, President of Interfaith Alliance issued the following statement today in response to Dunkin Donuts discontinuing an online ad featuring Rachel Ray wearing a kiffiyeh. Dunkin Donuts took this step following criticism from conservative pundit Michelle Malkin.

Enough already. Have we really reached the point where we are associating wearing a scarf of Middle Eastern origin with terrorist sympathies? Should we apply this standard to everything that comes from the Middle East? Or are we only applying this standard to our wardrobe? If that is the case I would like to suggest that we stop wearing sweaters with hoods so as not to expose any sympathies for the unabomber. 

I just returned from a week in the Middle East where I took part in the World Economic Forum. I can tell you that serious issues continue to widen the divide between the Muslim world and the west. We simply must repair that divide. We can not allow misguided pundits to trivialize the situation like this. It gives new meaning to the term “wardrobe malfunction.”

Interfaith Alliance is a network of people of diverse faiths and beliefs from across the country working together to build a resilient democracy and fulfill America’s promise of religious freedom and civil rights not just for some, but for all. We mobilize powerful coalitions to challenge Christian nationalism and religious extremism, while fostering a better understanding of the healthy boundaries between religion and government. We advocate at all levels of government for an equitable and just America where the freedoms of belief and religious practice are protected, and where all persons are treated with dignity and have the opportunity to thrive. For more information visit interfaithalliance.org.