International “Wear Your Kaffiyeh With Pride” Day

HELP NEEDED: I need help circulating this press release about Kaffiyeh Day, especially to the US press. Please leave a comment at the end of the press release post if you can be of assistance.

UPDATE 1: Please change your Facebook profile pic on the 6th to either of the following – especially suitable for those who cannot get their hands on a kaffiyeh on time, but want to show their support. They also make great blog buttons! Click on the links below to be taken to the image, and right-click, save, to download it to your computer:

Click here to download one of five comic book hero designs by Shaikr.com:

Click here to download this design by PalestineOnlineStore.com:

UPDATE 2: I’ve also created a Flickr group, along the same lines as the event page: http://www.flickr.com/groups/kaffiyehday/

UPDATE 3: Someone contacted me suggesting that participants of the event should also make sure to contact DD and demand that they offer an apology. Contact details have been added at the bottom of this post.

UPDATE 4: I wrote an article explaining Kaffiyeh Day from a personal perspective for MuslimMatters.org – read it here.

UPDATE 5: I wrote a “scientific” paper based on the preliminary results of the Kaffiyeh Day study. 🙂

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I’ve just created an event on Facebook, in response to the ridiculousness of the Rachel Ray ad being pulled by Dunkin’ Donuts. Only problem is, I’m not a “trend setter”. Never have been! So those people who have that gift, please help me to plug this very simple event, so it can actually be newsworthy, God-willing. Thanks in advance!

International Wear Your Kaffiyeh With Pride Day – Friday June 6th

A peaceful, visual protest against the clear racism displayed by a certain right-wing blogger, and her pals, after their ridiculous demand that Dunkin’ Donuts pull an online ad featuring Rachael Ray wearing a distinctive black/white scarf, which apparently looked too much like the Palestinian kaffiyeh. According to said blogger, the kaffiyeh is the “traditional scarf of Arab men that has come to symbolize murderous Palestinian jihad.”

Our response: what a load of xenophobic tosh!

More details about the incident here:
http://muslimmatters.org/2008/05/31/rachael-ray-30-minute-meals-for-terrorists/

Instructions for the protest…
Simple: on Friday June 6th:

1) Wear a kaffiyeh! Preferably whilst standing outside your local Dunkin’ Donuts. 😉 PLEASE DO NOT HARASS ANY DD EMPLOYEES OR CUSTOMERS, OR BE ANY KIND OF NUISANCE TO ANYONE. This is a peaceful protest, and besides, DD serving staff are not responsible for their employer’s marketing blunders! If you are asked to leave then do so, without causing a scene. We don’t want this hitting the press for the WRONG reasons, God-forbid.
2) Change your profile pic to one of the images listed at the top of this post.
3) If applicable, change your Facebook status message to: is wearing their kaffiyeh with pride! http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=20090243695
4) Take a photo/video of yourself wearing your kaffiyeh (with pride) and post it on the event page, or link to it on this post.
5) Contact Dunkin’ Donuts – tell them about this event & demand for an apology – contact details at the bottom of this page.
6) If you own a blog or website, please write about the event & either link to this page or to the following: https://imuslim.wordpress.com/2008/06/01/wear-your-kaffiyeh-with-pride-day/

Invite everyone to join in: Arab, and non-Arab. The more the merrier! A variety of participants will serve to highlight that the kaffiyeh is simply a piece of cloth, and not a symbol of murder and oppression, God forbid.

Heck, I’m not Arab… and I live in the UK… and I don’t even own a kaffiyeh… but I’m gonna wear one on June 6th, God-willing. 🙂

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*Online Suppliers of Kaffiyeh*
I found these via a Google search, so I cannot officially endorse their quality of service. However, unless you order next day delivery, there is a chance the scarf will not arrive on time… so try offline stores as well!

US/Canada/International
http://www.palestineonlinestore.com/kuffiyeh.html
Message from store owner: “If you don’t have a kuffiyeh, or enough kuffiyehs, and you order by noon Tues, we’ll get it to you on time for the 6th! (in the States)”

UK
http://www.freedom-clothing.co.uk/shop/accessories

Update: I ordered mine from freedom clothing on Sunday – I asked the owner, Joe Turner, to dispatch it asap, and he kindly complied. I received it Tues morn (click for pics). Thanks Joe!

http://simplyislam.com/iteminfo.asp?Item=50643#

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*Contacting Dunkin’ Donuts*

Thanks to Samar Dahmash Jarrah for the following:

Hold Dunkin’ Donuts to ethical standards higher than the quality of their iced coffee.

How can we do it?

If you haven’t already done so, tell Dunkin’ Donuts to reinstate the online ad, and ask that the company issue an apology. Make your voice heard.

The head of marketing at Dunkin’ Donuts is Frances Allen; her e-mail address is frances.allen@dunkinbrands.com. Please copy aaimedia@aaiusa.org on any email you send to the company.

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 Department 130 Royall Street Canton, MA 02021
Tel: (781) 737-5200

If you live in Massachusetts (where Dunkin’ Donuts is headquartered), contact your state representative, your state senator, and the office of the governor.

Bring your concerns to you local elected officials, and ask them to put pressure on Dunkin’ Donuts to reinstate the ad and issue an apology. In addition to all of the Dunkin’ Donuts stores frequented by Arab Americans in this country, the company has franchises throughout the Middle East.