You might have thought the idea of a “Burkha Barbie” was a swipe at the kind of Islamic fundamentalism that denies women the public expression of their sexual identity.

But the macabre mannequin is part of a collection of 500 dolls in international costumes to be auctioned in association with Sotheby’s for the charity Save The Children.

Barbie manufacturer Mattel has approved the collection for the latest in a series of world events taking place in Barbie’s 50th anniversary year. Fortunately, Burkha Barbie is unlikely to be mass produced, although a burkini version might have become a collector’s item!

The head-to-toe outfit by Italian designer Eliana Lorena was produced in vermillion and lime green, along with a less restrictive version in a black hijab.

However, Lorena’s creation is questionable as the burkha is neither a national costume nor a style of dress to celebrate. It is a mantle of a society that at its worst denies young women a public education and the most basic of civil liberties.

The Daily Mail, not known for political correctness, quoted a grown-up Barbie collector: “‘I think this is really important for girls, wherever they are from they should have the opportunity to play with a Barbie that they feel represents them.”

Decadent: 1997 Harley-Davidson Barbie

Islamic nations have long condemned the Barbie doll as a symbol of Western decadence. Iranian cleric Ghorban Ali Dori Najafabadi included her with Spiderman and Harry Potter in a list of character toys that were “destructive culturally and a social danger”. However, earlier attempts to promote the twin Islamic dolls Sara and Dara were not a success in Iran.

The Christian Science Monitor noted in 2005 that Fulla, a Syrian-designed doll with “Muslim values” — and a smaller bust — sold 1.5 million across the Middle East within two years of its release. She was sold with a prayer mat and assorted head scarves among her “indoor” and “outdoor” costumes.

In the same article, CSM’s Rondi Anderson wrote, “There exists… an apparent belief that young girls are hopelessly malleable. It’s as if those who purport to care the most about young girls underestimate their intelligence. Otherwise, why the assumption that a girl – either raised in the West or in the Islamic world – is so half-witted she will believe she should grow up to be like her doll?”

Tags: Barbie, burkha, fashion, Islam, toys
Categories: culture

This entry was posted on Friday, November 27th, 2009 at 5.27 pm and is filed under culture. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.