Muslim Barbie Doll Fills the Void for Muslim Girls
October 11, 2007 – 8:56 amPosted Under: society
Called Salma, from the Arabic word for peace, the doll comes dressed in a variety of costumes, ranging from the black “abaya” cloak to a loose-fitting white prayer dress. All Salma’s clothes are long-sleeved and down to her ankles and come with matching headscarves that cover her hair.
Salma’s creator, businesswoman Sukmawati Suryaman, said she was inspired to create a modestly dressed doll last year after seeing her niece playing with Barbie.
“I remember thinking that I wish we had Muslim dolls like these as we all know that children easily imitate their toys,” she told Reuters.
There’s also a doll called Razanne that is also touted as a Muslim Barbie targeted for Muslim girls. This is what CNN had to say about it:
At first glance, this new girl on the block doesn’t give Barbie much of a run for her money. After all, Barbie is everything Razanne is not — curvaceous, flashy and loaded with sex appeal.
But that’s exactly why many Muslim Americans prefer Razanne, with her long-sleeved dresses, head scarf and, by her creator Ammar Saadeh’s own admission, a not-so-buxom bustline.
For Saadeh, the doll not only fills a marketing void but also offers Muslim girls someone they can relate to.
“The main message we try to put forward through the doll is that what matters is what’s inside you, not how you look,” said Saadeh, who set up NoorArt Inc. with his wife and a few other investors.
The Livonia-based company, founded about seven years ago, sells the Razanne doll and a number of other toys geared toward Muslim children.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re tall or short, thin or fat, beautiful or not, the real beauty seen by God and fellow Muslims is what’s in your soul,” he said.
Razanne has the body of a preteen. The doll comes in three types: fair-skinned blonde, olive-skinned with black hair, or black skin and black hair.
Her aspirations are those of a modern Muslim woman. On the drawing board for future dolls are Dr. Razanne and possibly even Astronaut Razanne. There’s also Muslim Girl Scout Razanne, complete with a cassette recording of the Muslim Scout’s oath.
What sets Razanne apart from her few competitors is that she “holds a global appeal for Muslim girls,” Saadeh said. That image encouraged Mimo Debryn, of West Bloomfield Township, to buy the doll for her daughter, Jenna, four years ago.
“Razanne looks like the majority of women around Jenna,” said Debryn. “She loves that doll and always took care of her, giving Razanne a special place in her room, treating her with respect.
“Jenna never tried to take Razanne’s hijab (head scarf) off, though Barbie was usually stripped naked,” she said as her daughter, 11, curled up on the couch and smiled.
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One Response to “Muslim Barbie Doll Fills the Void for Muslim Girls”
Money changes everything.
By don on Oct 14, 2007