Iranian Police Throw a Veil Over Barbie
TEHRAN — The suspect fits the following description: slim, curvaceous, perpetual smile, no head scarf. Goes by the name Barbie.
Iranian police are combing the shelves for the perky ambassador of American culture. The doll’s uneasy sojourn in this Islamic country could be drawing to a close.
Authorities have been confiscating Barbie from stores since a vague proclamation this month denouncing the un-Islamic sensibilities of the idol of girls worldwide, shopkeepers said this week.
“They took them all,” said a toy seller whose shop window is plastered with the flower-shaped Barbie logo. “I have no idea if we’ll ever see Barbie back again.”
The woman refused to give her name, fearing trouble with police.
It’s not the first time Barbie has run afoul of authorities. In 1996, the head of a government-backed children’s agency called Barbie a “Trojan horse” sneaking in Western influences such as makeup.
In March, Iranian toy makers responded to Barbie with Sara, a doll clad in traditional clothing.
Barbie is a bestseller despite the cost: about $40, in a nation where the average monthly salary is about $100.
-- Associated Press
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