Step aside Barbie - a veiled doll with, as her creator describes it “Muslim values”, is proving a popular choice in Egypt’s toy stores.
Fulla, dressed in a traditional Islamic headscarf and overdress, comes with her own pink felt prayer rug.
Some parents who would not want to buy Barbies for their daughters are choosing to give them Fullas instead.
Creators NewBoy Design Studio launched the doll in 2003 and sales have proved strong in the Middle East.
Fawaz Abidin, the Fulla brand manager, said: "You have to create a character that parents and children will want to relate to.
“She’s honest, loving and caring, and she respects her father and mother.”
Career woman
Fulla is still single and there are no plans for an Islamic equivalent to Ken, Barbie’s former boyfriend. However, a Doctor Fulla and Fulla as a teacher are planned - both respected careers for women.
Her extensive wardrobe has been modernised for the Egyptian market to include jeans and the type of colourful headscarves worn by many young women.
Tarek Mohammed, chief salesman at Toys’r’Us in Cairo, said: “Fulla sells better because she is closer to our Arab values - she never reveals a leg or an arm.” The surge in sales of Muslim girls’ toys, including the veiled Fulla, comes amid new enthusiasm among Muslim women for wearing the veil.
There was this other doll in hijab being sold here in US, forget the name, the only challenge was that lil girls would very quickly take off teh dolls burqaa and put her in a bikini :D
well I dont see many lil girls playing with dolls and saying they want to be the senior legal counsel for a chemicals company, or thet theyw ant to be the six sigma program director at a consumer packaged goods company, or that they want to be chief marketing officer for a industrial products multinational, or that they want to be partner for a big 4’s sarbanes oxley work.
I mean similar thing for boys, why are toys and all soldiers, doctors, cops, superheroes. I guess “they” must **** their pants when they see a male muslim ad executive, or a male muslim procurement director
No, because those dudes still wear business suits, and there are plenty of male dollies with business suits. We all know you boys play with them in secret.
^ Kids I know play with Gi joes, action man, batman. spider man etc.
Have not quite seen an action figure for boys who is senior business analayst- erp systems Man ;)
first of all I dont think "ken" is target marketed to boys.
secondly, anyone can wear a suit, does not mean he is some business executive. I distinctly recall the limo driver who usually drops me at the airport wearing a rather nice suit. same goes for the valet at the mall.
yes "ken" wears a suit, but where does it say that its hedge fund manager ken ;)
Hey hey now. I know nothing of the doll-phile behavior of my male friends. I do however know that some of them are highly fascinated with churia and spend some of their time wearing them in secret. However, those guys are not the sort that turn into wife-beaters or little girl-molestors. So, sorry, it doesn’t explain anything
