*Faint* (Caters)
And you thought Caribou Barbie was bad for women.
Mattel has raised eyebrows everywhere with its rather interesting decision to auction off a Barbie doll wearing a burka as a collectors item.
With all due respect – what in Sam’s heck is Mattel thinking?
Mattel argues that the doll -- one of several special edition international themed Barbies up for auction -- honors Islamic culture and tradition – which is fine, except that this particular curio of Islamic culture and tradition also symbolizes radical oppression and violence towards women.
The radicalization of some factions of Islamic culture in the thirty years since the Iranian revolution is unfortunate, given that Islam had in the century since successfully moderated so as to coexist peacefully with democracy and freedom.
Islamic women worldwide are fighting oppression and demanding free lifestyles and real education – and they are paying a steep price for it as was seen the during feminized Iranian democratic revolts of this past summer.
Toy companies should not be promoting an oppressed burka Barbie at a time when the West desperately needs to support moderating and liberalizing reforms in countries tormented by despotic Islamofascist regimes.
What next? Beheaded Barbie? If you order in the next twenty minutes do you get the discounted stoning accessory kit with “honor killing” instructions for only $19.99 more?
The burka is a symbol of misogyny as entrenched in radical interpretations of Sharia law, falsely telling Islamic women that they are immaterial, irrelevant, irredeemable and invisible. Do you want your little girl playing with this? Or for that matter your boys – “Let’s steal my little sister’s burka Barbie and if she refuses to let G.I. Joe rape her, we’ll flog her to death!”
Burka Barbie is the wrong way to honor Islamic culture during an era when Western nations – including the United States – have been shocked by cases of Islamic immigrant fathers killing their Westernized, native-born daughters for their refusal to wear burkas or submit to radical Islamic sexist oppression.
The burka Barbie is not a fashion plate. She is a symbol of hate.
Mattel has unwittingly made a mistake. They need to correct it -- and remove it from auction -- pronto.
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Comments
Burqa Barbie = EPIC FAIL.
“Let’s steal my little sister’s burka Barbie and if she refuses to let G.I. Joe rape her, we’ll flog her to death!”
Crude DK. Awesome...but crude.
When's Sex Slave Soo Yung Ki Barbie coming out?
I think it's interesting that you are so incredibly misleading in this post. It's been clearly reported all day long that it was an artist's exhibit at a fundraiser, not a doll line that will be sold to the public. Get your facts straight.
The average age of terrorist homicide bombers is about the same age of Ken.
Let's just hope they won't make the pubescent 13-year old Barbie considering all those libtarded Hollyweird Roman Polanski supporters.
right side of right,
Hmmm, and where does this article say Mattel is selling these in retail stores? Nowhere.
You lose, thanks for playing.
Your elitist vitriol added no value to this discussion, your complete lack of focus is laughable and your double-tall-extra-foam-no-whip-latte-145F is getting cold. Go Fetch.
English Comprehension 101 is down the hall and to the Right. Rooms on the Left are padded for your protection.
"English Comprehension 101 is down the hall and to the Right. Rooms on the Left are padded for your protection."
What the heck is this commenter babbling about? Non sequitor much?
Geez D.K., nobody is pulling the "hate monger" and "racist" comments on you?
Right side of Right-where exactly is D.K. "misleading"? He said it was up for auction, not sale to the public. Perhaps you need to reread the article.
Hollyweird Barbie-that's FUNNY!!! 13 yr old Barbie-Special Directors/Producers Edition
The Burka Barbie on That Car is Burka free! www.flickr.com/photos/thatcar/2804268814/
Are these some of the 72 Virgins they are looking for? Maybe they are...... Mattel you are the supreme capitilist......
Good comments! Especially about the suicide-bomber equivalent for the male doll.
However, you were not correct when you wrote this:"The radicalization of some factions of Islamic culture in the thirty years since the Iranian revolution is unfortunate, given that Islam had in the century since successfully moderated so as to coexist peacefully with democracy and freedom."
Islam is a belief system based on the Koran and the sayings of Muhammad and Shariah. That belief system was never moderated to as to coexist peacefully with democracy and freedom, and it can never be so moderated. The reason is that neither the Koran nor the sayings of Muhammad can be altered or reinterpreted. Everyone is stuck with it. The best we can hope for is that more Moslems will cease to follow that Islamic ideology in their daily lives. The ideology itself has not changed, and it cannot change.
The Burka Barbie will be auctioned off in Florence, Italy, for the Save the Children charity. I find this somewhat ironic. Hopefully girls who leave their homes without wearing a berka will be able to access this charity, before daddy or brother kills them.
Jamaal, it appears that you are misinformed.
Re: your title. Arranged marriages are commonplace in Hindu India and take place with the family of a person trying to find a spouse for their child. It is not restricted to just girls but involves boys as well.
It doesn't take a burka to cause domestic violence. How many of the 4 million women who suffer domestic violence in the US each year wear the burka?
Look at the photos of victims of honor killings and you'll see that almost none wear the burqa.
When the Burka was banned at Al-Azhar in Egypt, it was women who protested.
Please educate yourself.
Talk about a stupid idea!
They should all be publicly burned!
How stupid can the person who approved this be, they should pay a price for this foolishness in the marketplace without question.
An artist dressed up the doll in a Burka - what does this have to do with Mattel? It's not their auction. There are all kinds of Barbies dressed up in amusing clothing on the internet that Mattel would never promote. While all this chatter is amusing, it is very naive to think a toy company would actually promote this. The company can't control some artist in Italy - why do people get so fished in on these things.
does this also come with a back pack loaded with bombs also?? and a personal camel ???get real we are in AMERICA JERKS
What next? Maybe her Honor Killing father complete with sword to behead her when the kids leave her laying around the house naked!
Bravo Dude!...(Clapping hands~~~)
An Iranian sharia-judge and a public hanging crane would perfectly suitable to this doll.
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