A woman, a girl, in a chador, chadari, burqa, cannot see that well. You cannot hear what she is saying. She cannot hear you. A woman in a burqa can’t run, or even walk that well. She stumbles. Inside, she has to balance a baby, a shopping bag, maybe a pair of glasses perched on her nose, slipping. If it’s hot, she is sweltering. If it’s sunny, she is still deprived of sunlight and Vitamin D. The burqa violates a woman’s human rights. It poses a danger to a woman’s health, both mental and medical.
The bikini and the burqa: What ever happened to women’s freedom?
I’ll tell you. While the bikini (especially as a symbol of pornography, prostitution, and promiscuity) was nevah (I say this with my best Barbra Streisand Brooklyn accent) a symbol of freedom, the western secular state never forced any woman to wear one; nor did her family. And, if a woman refused to wear a bikini, no one flogged, stoned, or honor murdered her. These things are happening to girls and women today all over the Islamic/Islamist world. They are happening in the West as well when young Muslim girls refuse to wear a modest headscarf.
A wonderful Muslim feminist hero just stayed with me for a week. She is a lawyer and an author. Her name is Seyran Ates, she is a Turkish-German, and she lives in Berlin. Like Algerian-American professor Marnia Lazreg, whose book about the Islamic Veil I’ve previously discussed, Ates absolutely opposes the veil in any form. She will not wear a headscarf. Ates is a religious Muslim woman.
Mattel: take Burqa Barbie off the market.
Parents: Boycott it.
Calling all Charities: Save the children from it.
This just in from Marcia Pappas, President of New York State NOW:
“As feminists we believe that women must be able to make their own choices and that includes choices about the clothing they wear. But the burqa is more than a choice. Women are forced to wear the burqua or risk being murdered. Mattel should be ashamed. Making a profit by selling a doll that is clearly wearing a symbol of violence is not acceptable and there should be a public outcry to take this doll off the market.”
And, I love the comments on this piece. What next? A Jihad Ken, etc.
Thank you, Phyllis. These were also my thoughts today when I did this rather gruesome parody of the Burqa Barbie on the People’s Cube:
Mattel Sponsors Genitally Mutilated Burqa Barbie Doll
One of the world’s most famous children’s toys, Barbie, has been given a makeover – wearing a burqa that fully covers an anatomically correct body of a young genitally mutilated Muslim woman with an amputated clitoris and the labia majora stitched together with thorns and ligament of a hyena.
Wearing the traditional Islamic dress, the circumcised doll is part of a “Save The Children” charity auction.
The company director of Laird Assessors from The Wirral, Cheshire, said: “Bring it on, Genitally Mutilated Burqa Barbie! I think this is a great idea. I think this is really important for girls, wherever they are from they should have the opportunity to play with a Barbie that they feel represents them.”
“I know Barbie was something seen as bad before as an image for girls, but in actual fact the message with Barbie for women is you can be whatever you want to be. I have a Crack Whore Barbie, Crack Baby Barbie, Transvestite Barby, Leprosy Barbie in a Wheelchair, an ACORN Barbie, and Pimp Ken that comes with the bunch. I even have an Islamic Martyr “Death to Infidels” Barbie with an exquisite suicide bomb belt laced with cute little bolts and ball bearings, from the Italian designer Eliana Lorena, which has only been out for, like, six weeks.”
Rosie Shannon, from Save the Children, said “We are delighted Sotheby’s and the designer chose to auction the Genitally Mutilated Burqa Barbie dolls for our charity.”
The money will go towards the Rewrite the Future campaign which helps millions of children around the world effected by rational Western values and suffering from their parents’ outmoded moral standards.
Save the children is like any other “charity” in that it is more interested in those getting paid, as opposed to those they ostensibly “help”.
I’m really not surprised. This will be followed by the “Jihadist Ken” doll, in which Ken will have a beard, turbin, and a small AK-47 machine gun. He will be stylishly dressed in a white robe and sandals. Accessories that can be purchased for “Jihadist Ken” will be the ever-popular explosive suicide vest (batteries NOT included), miniature roadside IED bomb (batteries ARE included), and a styrofoam cave for him to hide in (with Burqa Barbie, naturally). And for those “creative play” or “teachable” moments we all strive for in our children’s upbringing, “Jihadist Ken” will also be given a whip to beat Burqa Barbie when she gets out of line, play acid to throw in her face if she wants an education, and, of course, small stones for the traditional stoning of Burqa Barbie in case she even looks at another doll. All instructions will be supplied in Arabic, naturallly. Will be in a store near you for Ramadan. Hurry while supplies last. Void where prohibited by law or Geneva Convention.
Does this one come with an optional explosives belt or is that only being offered on the Ken doll? If Ken detonates, does he get 72 Virgin dolls? If the child removes the burqua, who gets stoned, the child or the doll? Is there an Allah doll in the future, or is that considered too risky? Considering the reaction to the Danish cartoons, It would have been a delight had the Monty Python troupe elected to focus on Allah in their classic ‘Life of Brian’, rather than the usual lampooning of Christianity.
Funny, I’ll bet you joined the feminazis in the 70s ranting against Barbie in the bikini. This is just part of the harvest for what you sowed.
Excuse me, was that the …slave the children charity…?
Further proof that the world has gone totally insane! Honestly, Phyllis, if I hadn’t read about this anywhere but in your column, I would have thought it was a saterial story a la The Onion! And BTW, pelaut, you seem to be saying that protesting patriarchal-inspired images of women in the 70′s led directly to another, much more serious one in 2009. Would you explain your reasoning? CAN you explain your reasoning? Oh, never mind!
I agree,
I buy my muslim nieces Bratz dolls.
Thank God my in-laws are not religous. I always have to make the beer run to Ramallah for them.lol
Oh, I live in the West Bank , FYI
PEACE
This is actually a brilliant marketing ploy because, as we all know, Burkha Barbie will not be allowed to leave the store unaccompanied by Ken.
Burqa Barbie? Carla captured what I’d like to say…all that occurred to me was what was Mattel thinking? And (en)slave the children, exactly…
Sorry, I read comments from 1 to 8 and … no, this Barbie is opening a whole Market of other figures surrounding her and accessories! No way to remove her from the Market (I think we simply should join Slave the Children, not as donors but as those who requires a help, and take our profit. Who knows, maybe we will earn enough to start producing a whole series of dolls, the way we want: amazon Barbie, gay Ken, hermaphroditis Bar-en, whatever).
Well, do you know about the “moderate” Islamic/Islamist Barbie (no Ken for her, sorry for the boys here. You’re banned!): Fulla. Here a promo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WqmCAzxUxI ; out of ignorance I just realize now that “Fulla” is a German deity! BLAAASPHEMY! [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulla ]. Maybe it is the reason behind the creation of a very radical Islamic/Islamist (halal/ghair-kafir/blasphemyfree/…) Barbie, like the burked one.
I anyway think that Barbie self is a very sexist symbol, and should be “quit”. Therefore I would ask the whole Barbie series to be removed from the Market, and … from our children’s toys (in order to … save them. At least from Sexism – be it Pornography or “Talibanism” -).
I wonder if the producer of that last Barbie feels no shame in spoiling the sufference of many women, forcibly jailed in their chador? It is like being at the time of Slavery and creating “the slave Barbie”, with chains and else: how can one (metaphorically and practically) play with that? It’s gruesome.
Some may remember the flak over the “math is hard” statement put into one of the talking Barbie’s, years ago. Now it is this. What’s next? “Honor-killer” Ken. Or “Woman Beating” Ken? All of Barbie’s friends now will be made into Ken’s wives? And what about Skipper, they going to make a “female circumcision” Skipper? Or will they force Barbie and the girls into marriage?
Why should we care about muslim women ,they don’t.
No thanks Mattel. I am going with the moose wearing lipstick…. at Build-a-Bear:
http://syd4.blogspot.com/2009/11/meese-abound-this-holiday-season-some.html
No worries, by the law of quantum children 80% of barbies in the bin will be naked anyhow.
Didn’t Phyllis have an article just about a week ago describing how she supports women being chopped up with a scalpel when they’re inconvenient? Not really sure how you can be morally indignant about one but not the other.
Gleefully I will boycott Mattel for the latest Barbie atrocity.
2. David W. Lincoln: ‘Save the children is like any other “charity” in that it is more interested in those getting paid, as opposed to those they ostensibly “help”.’
I love that vilification of ‘any other “charity.”‘ Ah, the compassion of the right-wing on display.
Boycott the BARBIES !
they aren’t innocent toys !
they are directing little girls’ mind into convenient sexy fantasies for lubricous men
No doubt Mattel had advisers who said this would be good for business. Play to religious and ethnic differences, and you’ll open up whole new markets. What they forgot was the symbolism of the veil. And, no,I don’t mean the highly touted chastity, modesty, etc., I mean the symbolism that women are “different” and for some reason cannot allow the sun to shine on their hair, their necks, and cannot let the wind blow through their hair — the symbolism that says women are not free to choose their own headgear, or no headgear, the symbolism that says women have the potential to cause evil and strife in the world, all by uncovering their heads. Until women are free everywhere not to wear the veil, it should never be used by a Western toy maker in a play to the Islamic market. Once women can freely choose, the veil reverts to being just a fashion statement, which Mattel may use or not.
Your Turkish feminist friend, Ates, is absolutely right to refuse the veil in any form. It’s a demeaning marker of female submission.
Isn’t this burqa doll inadvertently saying that dressing in this manner is a CULTURAL rather than religious act?
After all, have we seen Barbie dolls dressed as nuns? What about as orthodox Jewish women who wear wigs? Has there been a Ken dressed as a priest? Or orthodox Jew?
When is Ken going to carry around a head with a bloody machete? Is Mattel going to have a Taliban Barbie line with each doll comes with toy explosives? Mattel made a big mistake pandering…
Boycott Mattel and Disney! Don’t buy their products!
Does Burqa Barbie come with accessories?? Stones for stoning her if she gets out of line , or a bucket of acid to throw in her face ? How about missing one finger because she voted? Lets have some “cultural” accuracy here !
i thought it was a joke at first, bizarre, burka barbie will not come with ken dolls car because she isn’t allowed to drive.
I agree Burqa Berbie should come with stones & her skin should turn blue, purple, black, & red when she is abused; her limbs should be able to snap off including her head. It would be a more accurate depiction that what Mattel is selling.
I see Burqa Barbie, but where’s Action Ken? Out on a jihad run? Shooting a couple of women in the head for not covering up properly?
These items are up for auction for “Save the Children”? How ironic.
Could a Roman Polanski doll be in the offing?
no. 1 oleg,
What a hoot, are you a professional writer?
Great Article. Thanks.
biblio44:
2. David W. Lincoln: ‘Save the children is like any other “charity” in that it is more interested in those getting paid, as opposed to those they ostensibly “help”.’
I love that vilification of ‘any other “charity.”‘ Ah, the compassion of the right-wing on display.
biblio, I put faux charities in quotation marks. You need to work on picking up irony so that you know the difference between charity and “charity”.
For there those who are charities in name only, and they are very top heavy. And then there are those who are charities in deed, like the US Marine fund which funds real charities.
Thus endeth this lesson.
Well I want one. I have every Ken and Barbie doll ever produced, and all of there accessories. This is a very exciting addition to the line. I am forty three years of age, and live with my parents. I am a vegan. Ken and Barbie have brought untold joy and serenity into my life. I no longer use drugs or consume alcoholic beverages. I exercise regularly and eat healthy. No tobacco. I drive a school bus. I am saving up for a gender swtich operation. Is that a problem?
Parents must boycott all Mattel toys throughout the winter gift buying season. Mattel is the the company in bed with the Saudi profiteering of promoting women as slaves.
Where is NOW? At the white house as usual? Defending Carrie Prejean and her 8 porn tapes? Urging us all to unite with the likes of Prejean and anti abortion women and ignore that pesky abortion funding issue, and the rationing of cancer screening tests issue, and the funding medical care by cutting women’s health tests issue, or that issue of the male supremacist catholic church blatantly using their tax exempt status for political purposes such as anti abortion and pro illegal immigrant?
I take it everyone here knows the original Barbie was duplicated from a plastic blow up sex toy doll? True – sad but true.
Burqua Barbie needs a Caveman Taliban Ken! Oh, thank you PC Police. What gives, all you left wing pc “feminists”, do you not like scary icky responsibility? Is it not as much as you thought it would be, and you want to go back to the good old days of ten thousand years ago? You gals could have voted for Hillary or Palin, and had a woman with power actually looking out for your own best interests. But that bothered you because you were jealous. Why do Hillary and Sarah get to be in office and not me??? Whaaaaaaaa!!! I know, I’ll make it so NEITHER get it, that’s how much of a feminist I am. Don’t tell ME who to vote for. I have my OWN Brain!!! Well, good work ladies. I’m proud of you. You sure showed the rest of us.
The “Burqa Barbie” was undoubtedly a marketing ploy, and more likely aimed at collectors instead of little Muslim girls who could now have a Barbie “that looked like them”. Most of the special edition Barbies are for collectors more than little girls. I don’t know why Mattel thought that covering up what is, in many circles, considered a very sexual doll with a burqa would make the doll mare palatable to Muslin society as a toy for girls, and send them flying off the shelves.
Guess it’s just more Muslim butt-kissing. God forbid we condemn them for anything, even when it’s justly deserved…………………….
Rational people here in the West recognize the burqa and garments like it for what they are: a representation of the suppression, denigration and dehumanization of women. That type of clothing makes the wearer invisible, so much easier to ignore and treat like garbage. There are many of us who would like nothing more than a women’s revolution in every Middle Eastern country. (Maybe we should teach them about Lorena Bobbitt) An attempt at revolution would undoubtedly result in the deaths of tens or hundreds of thousands of women, or more in retaliation (we must not forget male family members avenging their “honor”). And, even if that happened, I bet we’d still see the likes of NOW and every other liberal, “women are victims of chauvinist pigs” group doing NOTHING to stand up for the women of the Middle East, or offering to assist Muslim women in this country who wish to change their lives Have you every noticed how Muslim women who emigrate to the United States assimilate more quickly and so much better than their male counterparts…??? They understand and grasp the concept of freedom and embrace it. If a Muslim woman WANTS to wear a burqa, that is her choice. And the Muslim women here in the US or any other Western nation who wish to wear a head scarf, that is their choice. But to be forced to do it is something else entirely.
My husband and I donate lots of toys for the Marine Corps Toys for Tots program every year, including Barbie dolls. This WON’T be one of the toys selected, that’s for sure………..
Berka Barbie comes with a fuse in her beautocks and is filled with 1/2 oz of flash powder. it also comes with an assortment of working miniature AK-47′s and RPG’s?
Also the Delux Berka Barbie comes outfitted with mini cel fone detonators and inert suicide bra’s. It’s a gotta have for every Johnny Jihaddist. Battery’s not included.
I gotta have it. Man what a ***on that doll.
Actually NOW NY to their credit, did condemn burka barbie.
Be still my heart!
Is NOW coming out against the burka ?!?!?!?
Will wonders never cease?
We may discover intelligent life on earth yet!
Before I pass out from shock somebody clear me up on this.
Is this actually an official national NOW position, or just a regional chapter position, or just Marcia Pappas speaking personally?
that must be some ugly looking barbie under there. yeccchhhh.
Where’s Cyborg Barbie? Or Medusa Barbie?
I think this country has taken political correctness way too far. Personally, this makes me want to hurl.
This is what Major Hasan played with. Not shown: Taliban Ken, comes complete with AK-47, beard and stick to beat Burqah Barbie for even thinking of running away right after he’s done forcing sex on Burqah Skipper and knocking back some Johnnie Walker Black Label (Allah can’t see though walls, you know).
Barbie just can’t make up her mind who or what she wants to be. Her latest ‘Burqa-Bimbo-Barbie’ role is just representative of one of her many flighty, inconclusive choices in a string of multitudinous personal, relationship and career decisions. Next month she’ll no doubt be moonlighting as ‘Nudist-Beach-Barbie’.
Let’s face it, Barbie is seriously effed up. Maybe Miss B will eventually receive some much needed therapy as she explores her inner ‘Bipolar-Bulimic-Barbie’. If an emergency intervention from Ken & Skipper doesn’t wake her up, I’m afraid we may end up with a very tragic ‘Psyche-Ward-Barbie’ or ‘Plastic-Brain-Surgery-Barbie’ in the not too distant future…
Marcia Pappas, NY NOW, is never afraid to speak up and do what’s right, PC be damned. Unfortunately, this is not the case with most other chapters. I’m sure that we will hear crickets from them, including National.
They could come out with 72 Virgin Barbies (collect them all!)and NOW would still probably do nothing.
First they took Barbies beautiful curvy figure away, now they are dressing her in a symbol of disgusting female oppression. Does anyone have a spine anymore?
I’m speechless.
Ms. Chesler, as always, thank you for being a true champion of women’s rights and freedom, for being such a clear-headed and incisive thinker, and for your tireless work in so many arenas, including Jews and the future of Israel.
The complete set comes with a variety of inspiring multi-culti characters like:
::The wedding couple – Creepy Uncle Abdul, 50 years old with a beard like a goat, and Barbie’s little half-sister, 9 year old Noor in her miniature wedding dress.
::The barbarian boys – Kafeel the killer, Saddam the sodomist, Rasool the rapist and little Bashir who “sleeps” in their room. It’s their job to come and kill Barbie if she takes off her burka.
::The mutilatresses – 5 nameless, faceless women invisible in black drapes from head to toe whose job it is to improve on Barbie’s sensitive parts.
::Mother Mahdiya – Comes with a tape of a variety of mourning ululations. She’s still trying to get the boys to blow themselves up. Her burka is permanently set into her plastic skin.
I honestly thought this was a joke and that it would turn out to be that way by the end of the article. I too am speechless and disgusted at the whole concept of such a barbie and will never give money to such a charity with such double standards.
For Mattel, this is just another niche market and a way to perhaps put a few more bucks in the plus column of the accounting ledger. Indeed, except for a few Western feminists, this doll is perfectly acceptable as a display of a particular type of dress among a particular type of woman, a woman who is accustomed to being beaten, kept impoverished and ignorant, not allowed health care, and who lives in a society where this sort of thing isn’t just tolerated, it is considered praiseworthy. I personally have no problem with any of this, nor am I particularly bothered by honor killings either. Simply put, if the Moslems want to keep the distaff half of their societies in the Dark Ages or even kill off them off, who am I as a tolerant and progressive Israeli Jew to protest or try to moderate them? The same should be true of Western feminists as well who should respect the norms and mores of other societies even the primitive, savage, and murderous ones like Islamic societies.
I am so glad that I had not bought the list of Barbie’s that I had wanted to get for Christmas. After seeing this I will never give another dime of my money to Mattel. I have collected and bought Barbie’s all of my life and this is the end. Any company that thinks that this is a good idea to make women invisible does not have a place in my world. Any executive that approved this needs to be looking for another job in another country.
“Crack Whore Barbie”
I about died laughing at that one.
53. Ken, sorry but Islamic savagism tries to expand. Tried since its very beginning, and still trying. If we respect human Dignity, we are meant to “free the slaves”, even if a slave self, who was born as slave, always lived as a slave and saw nothing else but Slavery, cannot even imagine what does a (more) dignitous life (for him/herself) means. Here we act as a single huge group: the human one. We cannot keep one or both eyes closed before such injustices, like the ones we see toward Islamic women (“honor” killings and battering – acid attacks included -, mutilations, forced unions, forced paedophilia, …), and toward Islamic people (forced belonging to a discriminating/racist/sadist religious/political Movement), …. Can we?
1. These Burqa Barbies are NOT part of Mattel’s official line-up.
2. These dolls are one collector’s vision of what Barbie could be.
3. Mattel isn’t perfect, but it is NOT fair to blame them for the vision of ONE collector.
Rather than get worked up over a non-existent threat – after 50 years as Capitalist Queen, Barbie is going to turn burqa-coiffed maiden – check the facts and save your heat and energy for real causes.
Delia, you rock
Now, for my new 9 months grand-daughter, I’ll never buy such a non-toy, that is charged with “perverse” senses
57. It is part of the Cause, and your comment show the need to take care of details (Burka Barbie), too. I think you should have a look into your Islamic homes, in order to see how “Capitalist (human) Barbies” are very appreciated there … not to mention the fact that porno Sites are most visited by people living in Islamic countries …. I think Islamic/-ist people and their fans should re-think about their use of the word and concept “Capitalist” as a weapon againt “the West”: they aren’t less “capitalist” than those whom they blame! And worst, outside the home they hide their “Capitalist (human) Barbies” inside a shroud, or they genitally mutilate them, or they “honor” kill them. Therefore please, here it already is about a REAL cause, despite your apologetic comment wanted us to believe something else.
[ ( A warm ) THANK YOU Dr. P. Chesler and PajamasMedia for your/this Blog! ]
Despicable! Almost as corrupt as some of our politicians.
No, PROMOTE Burkha Barbie!
Make sure every single pastor is talking about it, every radio talk show, everywhere!
55. Dave Surls: “Crack Whore Barbie” I about died laughing at that one.
Oh, c’mon, Dave! Where’ve you been? That joke is older than Southpark!
46. Delia: Next month she’ll no doubt be moonlighting as ‘Nudist-Beach-Barbie’.
No, that was Skipper! GI Joe talkied her into it… before they shurnk him and made him into that gay guy: Channing Tatum…
yes we can say barbie has H1N1 and need to wear barkeh to prevent her not transmit any more swine fule and wear white maske make her look ugly then she forced to weark borkah
how much this bikini women hated muslim women I was wonder while all ordox christian and jewish also cover their hair too
If we reform the Islam and
allow like pop of christian who allow no marriage for thier minster or chnage eating pork and can go to church with show hair of their women or can able men and women show their body revleaing in biki or other party dress by making money for supermodle
then we can also expect that
some common wealth member such as Pakstan to agree to put supermodl bikini too and change reform islam in halal food in change isalm can eat pork or import pork or can change islam not wear borkqh and can islam drink alchol in muslim countries
on other hand we also see Israel who announce as jewish land also open gay laws as well by law reform of Moses law of jewish countries
while moses never allow gay and lesbian
now we can conclude
if we can put half naked women picture are posed all new malls and all big adds for cloth then
we can expect to do also
ban all kind of Bokahd dress for muslim in
barbie only can wear bikin dress
plus who needs barbie in burkeh
unless we can say
barbie got cold and may she got H1N1 swine fule and need mask then
mask make barbie look ugly
then that time we can change barbie cloth with barkah perhaps
just think about it all based on how we can change islam laws by kingdome of common wealth or common law girl in future
all depends
Boycott Burka Barbie here:
http://pumapac.org/2009/11/23/can-i-get-that-pretty-doll-in-the-beheaded-version/
Is Islamic Barbie in a burkha is a positive tribute to muslim tradition or, does it promote the enduring subjugation of women by a repressive radical misogynistic ideology?
See the video, and answer the question here!
DoubleTapper
DoubleTapper@gmail.com
DoubleTapper, blogging on Guns Politics Defense from Israel
My God you are all horible excuses for human beings! Hate and discrimination are not admirable qualities. My wife is a white american born Muslim with no govt. or family member telling her how to dress and she wears the hijab, and even has been known to veil her face. She does this out of piety, and love for her religion, not because anybody’s going to throw rocks at her. And why dont you people who are supposedly not Islamophobes ever comment on how Indian Hindu women are treated by everyone in their society?
Burqa Barbie is the dream of every true jihadist . . . gorgeous, and she doesn’t have that thing that gives women pleasure!
I wonder how this new Barbie is supposed to make girls feel they are represented when Muslim women everywhere are trying to GET RID OF the burka? It is clearly a symbol of oppression for muslim women and I dare you to ask one if she loves to wear hers (just make sure no muslim men are around and she feels “safe” enough to answer). Truth is, muslim women in the middle east are trying to fight the burka as we sit here and have this conversation.
And for all those saying Barbie only teaches young children to subject themselves to men and be “sexy.” PLEASE. I played with Barbie dolls growing up for many years(as funny as it sounds, until I was about 15 or 16-one of my favorite toys ever) and I ALWAYS played with my Barbie’s simply because of all the cool “stuff” she had! Have you seen all of her cars and mansions? If there was anything about Barbie that I wanted to be, it was to be successful so I could acquire such a large wardrobe!
#62 Just:
I have to say that I agree whole-heartedly with whatever it was you were trying to say.
Well put, sir.
I totally agree with #65.
Everyone here is being completely ridiculous. There are highly educated women who CHOOSE to wear a burka. I think it’s crazy how everyone seems to be okay with a bikini clad barbie, but God forbid barbie decides to not look like a slut. God forbid she decides to let a man judge her for her mind instead of her perfectly perky boobs and slender legs. Because that’s what the burka does! It does not opress women but rather gives women the opportunity to be judged for their mind and not their bra size!
I am sending a very nice letter to Mattel. I will never buy any of their toys again. I hope this impacts their bottom line to the max. How could anyone in their right mind think this is a good idea.
.69 MyDefinition: highly educated? And tell me please, what do they follow when they decide to annihilate themselves (women) with a burka? Do they follow they high education or do they follow their religious (spiritualityless and humanityless) indoctrination (a part of the fact that many say no where Islam asks a woman to hide herself behind various kind of shrouds!)? And about education: criminals Alzawahiri and “Capitain” Hassan are/were highly educated people, too. This change nothing about the fact that they are/were mentally sick people.
I would altogether say that people like “self-annihilating” women (those who choose to hide themselves in a shroud) and “annihilators” Alzawhairi and Nidal-Hassan alike, no matter how educated they are, they are showing to the whole world that they have a serious disease called sado-masochism, which no one took the disturb to heal.
At the opposite (there are people like you and “number .65″) which encourage and strenghten their mental sickness (insanity)!
By the way: no one says that Bikini 90-60-90 Barbie “ready for Sex” Doll is an example for human girls and women – in fact, there have been and there are still Movements which point out the negativity of portaying “females” that way. In the West almost everyone – average educated people – knows how dangerous it is to dehumainze and objectivize women (and people in general – thing not at all achieved in the Islamic world, yet -).
I live in the middle-east and I would like to clarify one thing. The only reason women “choose” to wear the Burkha is because years of threats, stonings and honor killings have helped them make the decision. For all those leftist women who claim it is a “choice” I wish you well under sharia law.
Re your first paragraph. Don’t give them any more ideas. LOL – Bet you the “feminist establishment” has nothing to say about this. What would have been the reaction if there was a “Carmelite” Nun Barbie??????
Perhaps, they could market Burqa barbie with a small container of powerful acid, so that she can be punished properly for being made (born?) female, or refusing to marry Mohammed Ken.
I agree with
commenter at:
November 23, 2009 5:24 PM
Anonymous said…
http://uoftconservatives.blogspot.com/2009/04/dalton-sales-tax.html#comments
Give women a choice
because violance against women and hate against freedeom of women are abused by hand of men can be muslim or jewish or christian man who think they know more than women to think about her freedom and abused her eitehr by force her too much cover or too little to wear bikini too both is kind of misused women and made her look doll or stupid in society
Commenter 57 is right: No such “Burka Barbie” is being manufactured or sold to any market. It doesn’t exist. These are custom costumes made by a private designer for a one-off doll collection.
Chesler and the PUMAs and the other hyperventilators are demanding that Mattel stop making a doll they don’t make, never did and don’t plan to. This is a silly non-issue.
Commenter 77 is correct
Save the Children does not support this barbie, the auction was initially intended to sell random barbie merchandise, and the proceeds would be donated to save the children, Save the children didn’t create/ sponser this event, but merely recieves the profits as a donation. It does not sanction the Burka Barbie, nor does mattel
There seems to be some confusion here so I will supply some of the text from and a link to the original WeaselZippers posting which is:
http://www.weaselzippers.net/blog/2009/11/mattel-backs-burqa-barbie-to-celebrate-dolls-50th-anniversary.html
Titled:
Mattel Backs “Burqa Barbie” to Celebrate Doll’s 50th Anniversary…(Update) Here Comes Metro-Malibu Mohammed and Life Partner Barry….
Extract:
The WeaselZippers posting was in turn based on an item in the Daily Mail which is here:
It’s Barbie in a burkha: World-famous doll gets a makeover to go under the hammer for 50th anniversary
And which reads:
So there’s what we know so far.
Mattel is backing the exhibition and is thus endorsing the idea, as reported by both WeaselZippers and the London Daily Mail.
This naive out-of-context stuff (which is to assume that it is not deliberately dishonest) about how the burka is just a fashion choice is really quite annoying and offensive.
Beyond that it is shockingly cold.
Only heaven knows how many women have been tormented and killed for not wearing that sort of thing. Not to mention the uncounted numbers that wear such things only for fear of violence, and who hate doing so.
To know these things (and few literate people in the world don’t) and sit there saying “It’s a fashion choice. Some people like it.” reflects, to my eye, true deep moral depravity.
Let me spell it out …
We’re living in a country where people go nuts over a confederate flag. And that war was 150 years ago. But their aversion to the slavery associated with that flag is so strong that everything else that that flag might mean is forgotten or dismissed as trivial by comparison.
There is a war being waged upon us TODAY by the people who insist on enslaving their women, dressing them in burkas and the like, and killing them for disobedience.
They just killed a few thousand of our citizens up in NY a few years ago.
Believe me when I tell you that normal people know what it means when somebody asserts that wearing a burka is a fashion choice.
Burka Barbie??? Are you kidding me? Wake up America. I will not purchase one single Mattel product until that ridiculous doll is removed from the shelves!
Rotwang (77)
Wrong. Mattel makes Burka dolls. They are called Fulla Barbies and here is a commercial video (one out of several on YouTube):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHujJSCJC1o
no way, no how, no american sales of burka barbie. How un-american can you get??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Burka Barbie??? Are you kidding me? Wake up America. I will not purchase one single Mattel product until that ridiculous doll is removed from the shelves!
I smell Mattel stock around the country being burned by the bushel.
Does the Burka Barbie come with commando action suicide belt? Will there be an “Israeli Barbie Dream Cafe” and School Bus for BB to destroy in the name of ORTHODOX Islam or will she just blow up other muslims?
ooo OOO OOOOOOO
will there be Burka Barbie 747 and “sold separately” Twin Towers?
the “Barbie” isn’t a toy that helps to develop imagination, but instead of, it drives the little girls mind into a consumerism dream (humm, the american dream defined by capitalism ?) Girls wants to have more clothes, more accessories… more barbies… to get an eratz life that they envy, but not something that would help them to imagine stories, or a “response” in order to compensate their bad or good relations with their parents, or others
And, of course the Burka Barbie is the completion ! the logic following of the consumerism education
now i’ve seen everything. Mattel seems to be attempting to convince American girls that being a “Burqa Barbie” is both glamorous and fun. something tells me they forgot to ask Burqa cad women what they thought. what’s next? the “Jihadist Ken” doll?
-chirs
Boycott Burqa Barbie
Chirs Wrote the above to me.
The following was my response.
Actually I’m all for this. Here is why. Mattel has now opened the door to a whole world of relistic Barbies. If they whish to Make the Burqa Barbie , The most oppressive and enslaved symbol of oppressed women’s rights on the planet then they must be fair and offer other realistic Barbies. Here are a few to start with:
How about Crack Wh*** Barbie with pock mark face and needle tracks. And Pimp Ken.
How about Silicon Barbie with Inflatable breasts.
How about Plastic Surgery Barbie that is different every time you pick her up,and you need to keep buying updates or the face slides off.
How about a Opra Barbie , comes with a crown that no one know why she has but all bow down to her anyway. Everything she touches turns to gold. Is able to hipmatizes millions of women into shopping.
How about Pot Smoking Barbie that quits college and lives in basement of Ken’s parents house while Ken works a McDonalds.
How about Abortion Barbie , every once in awhile you have to bring her to the next state for a operation in the middle of the night. Comes with optional coat hanger.
Stripper Barbie with realistic plastic body************
How about Dominatrix Barbie with leather whip and bright red boots. And Slave Ken doll. (this one I’d buy)
How about Butch Barbie With short with hair and over sized man’s Blue jeans. Kenny Cross dresser to go with.
How about Lizbo Barbie with strap on ***and accessories. Ken just gets to watch.
How about Redneck No Job On welfare Barbie. With three kids and a no Ken doll and a trailer with big screen cable Tv.
How about Octomom Barbie with 14 kids! 132 dirty diapers piled up daily! No job just a big hand out reaching?
How about Big Bouty Barbie with extra wide ass. Accessories include a box of Krispy Kream doghnuts and a big gulp.
How about a Kate and John Barbie with real tv cameras and Kids crying for attention while mom and dad fight over interviews.
How about Fat Biggest looser Barbie With loads of cheese burgers and self pitty.
How about Porn star Barbie Anatomically correct with Two holes in the *******.
How about Anorexia Barbie Molded with clear plastic so you can see her malnourished bones.
How about Senator Clinton Barbie that runs around the world threaten small countries with no help.
How about a Conda Leazza Rice Barbie That just Scares Everybody.
How about a Nancy Palosie Barbie Speaker of the house that thinks she is a Kenedy!
How about the really expensive Anna Nacoal Smith Barbie that cost millions but dosnt live long enough to be worth anything.
If you think these are wrong then remember . We Idolize these women and so we created them first.
Any to add to this let me know!
Eric
88. Eric: who said that Barbie itself is a great example for girls? But when it comes to Islam it is a political Ideology. It is a matter of Legal system, which means, that a woman legally worths a half of a man, that she legally has to obey her man, that she legally has to … has not to …. The other examples you gave about other Barbie’s models, aren’t related to a political/legal Ideology/System. MIGHT YOU REALIZE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO SITUATIONS/CONDITIONS?
And: in the West you have Feminist Movements which try and educate people about the trick of objectivizing the Being. You haven’t them in Islamic world, where everything “has been written and it is unmodifiable” (it isn’t even possibile to check directly by the “creator” if it said that or not. Muhammad and his Allah have been buried in the Arabic Desert some 14 centuries ago. Sorry …).
You also touched (unwillingly I guess) the psychological matter about girls, which has to do with their self-esteem, which indirectly has to do with the importance and the role that Society (men/males) gives to them. While here (Non-islamic societies) it is possible to address the problem(s), in Islamic societies isn’t even possible: (female) Slavery is institutionalized, and unmodifiable; while here, well, we just need some engagement (and intelligence) and things can be modified, things can evolve for better. DO YOU SEE THE DIFFERENCE between Islamic objectivation of the female (unmodifiable, unevolvable) and Western objectivation of her (modifiable – and already modified; still have to be modified, still can/have to evolve -)?
Quite the controversy we have here. Is Mattel creating a Burka Barbie? No, it is a piece (actually 3) that are part of a 500 piece exhibit in Florence Italy. How the other 497 dolls are attired? Well according to the promo:
(translated from Italian at http://www.dettaglimodaitalia.com)
“From 19 to November 22, 2009 Eliana Lorena, artist and designer, will exhibit at the Gallery “Il Seraglio” in Florence, the unique works.Five hundred Barbie, unique pieces, dressed according to the different types and cultures, women’s dresses designed by the artist and facts ad hoc.”
it goes further to say:
“Mattel Canada, a partner of the exhibition, on the same days celebrating fifty years of the most popular fashion doll from children with charity auction by Sotheby’s for Save the Children to be held on the evening of Friday, November 20th in the Sala dei Cinquecento in Palazzo Vecchio, Florence. ”
Albeit the translation is not perfect, we have no inkling that Mattel is planning a Burka Barbie.
Someone stated that Mattel makes the Fulla Barbie, but this is incorrect. It is manufactured by a privately owned UAE company; NewBoy FZCO. She may look similar and come in similar packaging, but Barbie she is not.
OPINION:
So what do we have here? I see an obscure designer (to me, as I am not knowledgeable in design) who’s previous works include
(translated from Italian at http://www.navadesign.com):
” the color design of lamp shade Costanzina (Luceplan, 1992), exchangeable in five different shades of colors. ” I am sure she has done other work, but finding information on her was quite difficult. That was until now; she is becoming famous after dressing some Barbie dolls!
We also have a quote from a company director stating: “Bring it on Burka Barbie, I think this is a great idea. I think this is really important for girls, wherever they are from they should have the opportunity to play with a Barbie that they feel represents them.” This person is either a fool or just trying to be controversial. Barbie was banned in Saudi Arabia, they are trying to ban her in Iran, probably in all of the middle east. So no… they will not be playing with the fictional Burka Barbie.
I, in no way, support , believe in, or condone a backwards society that treats their females as property. The atrocities committed on these women and girls are truly deplorable. It is one of the unfortunate facts of life that such cultures exist and thrive. That being said, I do feel that all of this uproar to a news story about a designer dressing a Barbie in a burka is a bit overreacting. Boycott Mattel?? Sure, but I’d wait until they actually announce that they will be making this nonexistent toy. To do otherwise is just plain irresponsible behavior, based on fiction instead of fact.
The burqa, the one that shows only the eyes, is not an Islamic symbol. It’s also not a symbol of oppression and all of things in this article are either stereotypical or just plain opinion and ignornace. The burqa ia a symbol of choice and symbol of freedom and liberation. How many women get raped these days and why? The answer is because they appeal to men or oppressors in the manner of their body movements. With the burqa, no one will give you a second look, and that’s a fact. Burqa for choice, not oppression.
I read this and found it to embody most of the problems of western feminism and criticism. Although I myself feel the burqa is distasteful, I find that the understanding of the headscarf in this piece is completely off base. The “Muslim women” who have stayed in your home or who have conversed with you represent a very small portion of the world. There are many forms of Islam, and those that enforce or choose the burqa exist in Afghanistan or northern Pakistan. This changes the context to a more political one–a code of dress that pre-taliban was only enforced in remote villages (not in the larger cities of Afghanistan). You ignore the criticism of the burqa in this larger context.
By repeatedly enforcing this understanding of the burqa as an entirely oppressive garment, western feminism is failing to move beyond this singular image of Islamic women. If you want to know more, read more regionalized texts…but please, i beg you, these tirades about “backwardness” and “oppression” are helping no one but yourselves…