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 celebrates religious freedom by championing individual rights, promoting policies that protect both religion and democracy, and uniting diverse voices to challenge extremism. Founded in 1994, Interfaith Alliance brings together members from 75 faith traditions as well as those without a faith tradition to protect faith and freedom. For more information visit interfaithalliance.org.