The southern supermarket chain, Publix, has pulled their free 2010 calendars after receiving numerous complaints concerning the date of December 7. The calendars marked that day as the start of the Islamic New Year while omitting the remembrance of Pearl Harbor Day.
Joyce Kaufman, who broadcasts a radio talk show from Miami-Dade to Palm Beach counties, urged customers to call Publix if the calendar offended them. Her listeners responded en masse, and the calendar, filled with coupons, was pulled. Publix has no plans to reissue the calendar this year.
The free calendar has acknowledged holidays since 2005, the first year of its publication. While American holidays have been on the calendar, Publix has also published many overseas holidays on it, such as Puerto Rico Commonwealth Constitution Day and Haitian Flag Day.
Kimberly Jaeger, a spokeswoman for Publix, issued the following statement:
"We regret that the day of remembrance, Pearl Harbor, is not noted and as a result of customer feedback, we will add Pearl Harbor to next year's calendar."
She also says that days of remembrance were always excluded from the calendar due to the large number of holidays in a calendar year.
Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American-Islam Relations, a Washington-based Muslim civil rights and advocacy group, charged that the calendar's protesters focused on the exclusion of the Pearl Harbor anniversary to exploit "the natural patriotism" of Americans and to "marginalize Muslims and demonize Islam." [No, Mr. Hooper, those who have sought to destroy western civilization in the name of Islam have demonized it. -- B &G]
Several Muslims phoned Publix, thanking the company for observing the Islamic New Year, Hooper said.
The supermarket chain plans on including both the Islamic New Year and Pearl Harbor Day on next year's calendars.
Anyone wishing to let your opinion be known can contact Publix at:
Publix Super Markets Corporate Office
ATTN: Consumer Relations
PO Box 407
Lakeland, FL 33802-0407
863-688-1188
6 comments:
"Offend them?" This PC crap is going to have blowback consequences, and the post modern, moral relativist, cultural AND economic Marxists will not know what hit them when polite conservatives pull out all the stops. I don't care anymore; my specialty is "offending" these mouth breathers.
By the way Denise, your revised format looks very nice. Quite clean and much easier to read.
So, complaining about a lack of Pearl Harbor demonizes Islam, but they aren't grateful for INCLUDING Islam on the caledar in the first place?
I'll be damned if I'll live to see Islam take a stanglehold in this country the way it has in the UK.
I shop at Publix in S.W. Florida and have never seen a "burka", but I see plenty of free Americans who know too well the carnage that was the December 7th attack on Pearl Harbor... I'm outraged and they will hear from me... Would you be opposed to my reposting your entry on my blog?
Bunni: Me either. And I have an aunt in Florida getting the link to this story.
*finally stopped snowing. yay!!!!*
William: Thanks, sweets!
Steve: I second that, my friend!
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