If small girls in the western world love playing with Barbie...not considering a few who love torturing them, little Muslim girls love flaunting the Muslim doll - Fulla.

This is one of the best-selling girls toy in Arab world. A complete stark opposite of the west’s blonde-haired Barbie, Fulla has thick black tresses and large doe-eyes.



With mechanical curves, long-thin legs, and skin showing dresses, Barbie is an paradigm of Western consumerism. In a complete contrast to her, Fulla is rather modest and never subjected to open display...a perfect example of Muslim shytness.



Keeping up with the Muslim thoughts, Fulla veils herself in a white hijab scarf and decent ankle-length. Talking about her romantic life...it’s harsh that Fulla has no male friends unlike Barbie who earlier had Ken and now Blaine.

“Fulla is one of us but Barbie is still a stranger,” says Mohammed al-Sabbagh, a manager at Space Toon, Damascus’ leading toy store.

“Fulla is my sister, my wife, my mother. She comes from the same culture.



Reading all these things don’t you feel Fulla is a parent friendly doll rather than girls friendly? I consider the conservatism of Muslim parents is a major factor in the booming sales of Fulla. Do you find this interference of religion and modesty in toys fine?

Doing this, in a way we are stuffing the little minds with pre-conceived adult ideas that west is bad. And in a way we are nurturing the girls’ mind in a traditional manner that does nothing other than limiting her thought process. Give her some space...an opportunity to choose a lifestyle of her own, it’s not bad to come out of the hijab...let her choose between Fulla and Barbie.



Via : The Age