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In Iran, Barbie Seen as Cultural Invader

[Christian Science Monitor] Scott Peterson - Iran's judicial authorities have singled out Barbie dolls as the portents of a Western "cultural invasion." But a decade-long, anti-Barbie campaign waged by hard-liners has met with little success. The owner of a toy shop in downtown Tehran says, "Those kids who watch foreign television and [illegal] satellite want Barbie dolls." An Iranian version called Sara was created, but the first prototypes made in Iran reportedly did not appeal to children, and the job was then contracted to China, where Barbie dolls are also made. In 2003, Syrian designers introduced Fulla, a dark-eyed doll with "Muslim values." Within two years, 1.5 million Fulla dolls had been sold across the Middle East.
2008-09-19 01:00:00
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