Iran takes new shot at Barbie, calling US doll 'destructive'

The Scotsman

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Okay here's an interesting one - may not be everyones cup of tea but have a read anyway.....Oh yeah for those that thought this was another MOOOslim rant sorry to disappoint you......



By ALI AKBAR DAREINI, Associated Press Writer
Mon Apr 28, 4:09 PM ET

TEHRAN, Iran - A top Iranian judiciary official warned Monday against the "destructive" cultural and social consequences of importing Barbie dolls and other Western toys.

In the latest salvo in a more than decade-old government campaign against Barbie, Prosecutor General Ghorban Ali Dori Najafabadi said in an official letter to Vice President Parviz Davoudi that the doll and other Western toys are a "danger" that need to be stopped.

"The irregular importation of such toys, which unfortunately arrive through unofficial sources and smuggling, is destructive culturally and a social danger," said the letter, a copy of which was made available to The Associated Press.

Iranian markets have been inundated with smuggled Western toys in recent years partly due to a dramatic rise in purchasing power as a result of increased oil revenues.

While importing the toys is not necessarily illegal, it is discouraged by a government that seeks to protect Iranians from what it calls the negative effects of Western culture.

Najafabadi said the increasing visibility of Western dolls has alarmed authorities and they are considering intervening.

"The displays of personalities such as Barbie, Batman, Spiderman and Harry Potter ... as well as the irregular importation of unsanctioned computer games and movies are all warning bells to the officials in the cultural arena," his letter said.

Najafabadi said Iran is the world's third biggest importer of toys and warned that smuggled imports pose a threat to the "identity" of the new generation.

"Undoubtedly, the personality and identity of the new generation and our children, as a result of unrestricted importation of toys, has been put at risk and caused irreparable damages," he said.

Mattel Inc., the maker of Barbie, had no immediate comment on the Iranian letter.

Barbie is sold wearing swimsuits and miniskirts in a society where women must wear head scarves in public and men and women are not allowed to swim together.

In 1996, the head of a government-backed children's agency called Barbie a "Trojan horse" sneaking in Western influences such as makeup and revealing clothes.

Authorities launched a campaign of confiscating Barbies from toy shops in 2002, denouncing the un-Islamic sensibilities of the iconic American doll. But the campaign was eventually dropped.

Also in 2002, Iran introduced its own competing dolls — the twins Dara and Sara — who were designed to promote traditional values with their modest clothing and pro-family stories. But the dolls proved unable to stem the Barbie tide.

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Just a thought - Barbi has morphed over her 50 odd years into a represenation of classic consumerism, you know the kindda thing all the clothes, the cars, accessories and all that malarchy; essentially the icon of fashion. I kindda feel sorry for the Iranians, okay times move on and all the jazz but what's wrong with trying to live a little bit in the past - at least for the youngsters anyway; age of innocence and all that!! I feel for them, kids don't just play anymore they are manipulated and targeted with plastic crap from merchandising and marketing companies employing the latest in profiling and psyco-whatever....I'm not preaching just a little sad really. Turn on the kids channels and they are bombarded with banal adverts trying to persuade parents that they must buy their kids this piece of worthless junk or that bit or garbage.....Jeeeeez my 7 year old daughter knows all the text to some of the adverts dealing debt consolidation!!?? oooops this is turning into a rant :o

Anyway I think the Iranians are perhaps on the right track with trying to maintain some kind of balance, essentially trying to juggle their values whilst attempting to accomodate other cultures consumerism - good luck to them!

Oh yeah...... and yesterday we have GTA-IV released a gentle little game for the sweet natured :D
 
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This whole GTA IV debate...

Its up to the parents to educate their kids, and to let their kids play the games.

If someone makes the game, fair play to them.
If someone buys it, thats their choice.
If someone goes out and kills someone because their parents didn't raise them properly, thats their fault.
 
Now's our chance, bomb them bomb them I say! Drop tons of Barbies all over Iran, thus destroying their culture and making them into a western civilization.

Barbie power!
 
Now's our chance, bomb them bomb them I say! Drop tons of Barbies all over Iran, thus destroying their culture and making them into a western civilization.

LOL. No wonder this country is so screwed up. We got the president writing on a chat board instead of running the damn country!

Why not go all out. Drop Barbies made of pig skin...

Western civilization? you mean the one that tells me what to say, tells me who to pay, and decides how I should raise my child? Guess what! We don't have it right either. Better, but not right.
 
LOL. No wonder this country is so screwed up. We got the president writing on a chat board instead of running the damn country!

Why not go all out. Drop Barbies made of pig skin...

Western civilization? you mean the one that tells me what to say, tells me who to pay, and decides how I should raise my child? Guess what! We don't have it right either. Better, but not right.

How about the one where you can speak your mind on a forum without fear of the SS or the Mullahs knocking on your door, where you choose where to live, where to work, how to spend your money, who to vote for, what to watch or not watch on TV, which church to attend or not to attend, and move around the country without bothering with checkpoints?

It's called a free country, and there's a reason it's called that. Of course, freedom can be lost if we let it be. The price for freedom is constant vigilance.
 
The price for freedom is constant vigilance.
I think agreeing on what freedom is, is where the problems lie. This country isn't so pure though. How many "freedoms" have you seen diminished or replaced with newer improved "freedoms" during your lifetime?

Free speech? Going ...Going...

2nd amendment rights? attacking...attacking...

Justice in the courts? non-existent or disproportionate.

Are we being vigilant? How can we, when society is out of sync as it is. Because of it's diversity, there are problems. What do you think the government's solution to the social problems that the diversity they applaud is going to be? A need for conformity? the precurser of which is political correctness? Vigilance. It's easy to talk, tougher to walk.
 
TEHRAN, Iran - A top Iranian judiciary official warned Monday against the "destructive" cultural and social consequences of importing Barbie dolls and other Western toys.

Any eight year old american girl would laugh at these old farts. :D Barbie is about as old-fashioned and dated as it gets. :)
 
I think agreeing on what freedom is, is where the problems lie. This country isn't so pure though. How many "freedoms" have you seen diminished or replaced with newer improved "freedoms" during your lifetime?

Free speech? Going ...Going...

2nd amendment rights? attacking...attacking...

Justice in the courts? non-existent or disproportionate.

Are we being vigilant? How can we, when society is out of sync as it is. Because of it's diversity, there are problems. What do you think the government's solution to the social problems that the diversity they applaud is going to be? A need for conformity? the precurser of which is political correctness? Vigilance. It's easy to talk, tougher to walk.

Are our freedoms under attack? Constantly. Are we being vigilant? Not enough, or there wouldn't be any freedoms lost. Our founding fathers understood that government is a necessary evil, and is the greatest threat to freedom. We seem to have forgottent this in our search for larger and more powerful government to protect us and to impose our values on the rest of society.
 
Are our freedoms under attack? Constantly. Are we being vigilant? Not enough, or there wouldn't be any freedoms lost. Our founding fathers understood that government is a necessary evil, and is the greatest threat to freedom. We seem to have forgottent this in our search for larger and more powerful government to protect us and to impose our values on the rest of society.

So Bush is a greater threat than al qaeda? Look out - one of these day he just might hijack a jet and fly it into the Chrysler building. :D
 
So Bush is a greater threat than al qaeda? Look out - one of these day he just might hijack a jet and fly it into the Chrysler building. :D

Look out, here he comes! How much damage can AF1 do?:eek:

Seriously, the government is the biggest threat to our freedom. Given your stance on "liberals", I would think you would agree with that statement.
 
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By working closely with the Europeans in cultural exchanges, trading oil for technology; and by totally ignoring the continuous provocations by Israel's Judeo-fascists and the politically desperate Neo-Marxists (Neo-Cons/Neo-Libs) in the American government, Iran shall achieve peace and prosperity. Her role models are contemporary India, and postwar Japan and Germany.
 
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