We all know what a Barbie is, considering the fact that the plastic doll has been around for an astonishing 48 years and is the top-selling fashion doll ever made! Barbie, who’s full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts, is given the personality of a beautiful blonde, who is perfect in every way and lives the all American lifestyle. Yet some people don’t approve of the blonde, because of her “revealing clothes and shameful posture” but there’s no worry they have found a replacement! Fulla is the Muslim replacement version of Barbie, which is marketed to children of Islamic and Middle-Eastern countries to replace the western life style of Barbie with the more realistic life style of a typical Islamic woman. The doll was created by Manar Tarabichi, a Syrian entrepreneur and is produced by NewBoy, since November 2003 the doll has sold 1.5 million copies. The doll has been very much approved in the Middle-Eastern countries, because of her conservative and respectable clothes such as a black abaya, wide variety of head scarves, and clothes that show no bare arms, legs or cleavage. In addition to her clothing, she also has black hair, and has had her breasts flattened, these small factors are very important to the consumers of the doll, Shahira Kashlan has said “I don’t mind buying Fulla because she’s closer to Arab culture’ and she added “Her clothes don’t expose”. Fulla is a role-model to some Muslim people and shows how many Muslim people would prefer their daughters to dress and behave, however Mr. Abidin has said that the company never intended to design an Islamic doll, but just one that Arab girls could identify with.
MacKinnon, Mark "Barbie meets her Muslim match." The Globe and Mail 27 Oct 2005: A1, A21.
Unknown. "Barbie and Fulla." July 14,2007. Online image. http://saneed.files.wordpress.com/2007/07/fulla_narrowweb__300x4920.jpg. November 18, 2007
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