Fulla - Saving Muslim girls from Barbie

Barbie Doll has always been a figure of controversy since she made her first appearance on the American scene in 1959.Since the sale of the first Barbie Doll, many issues have been opened up about the message it portrays to young girls about their own bodies and sense of self-worth. As the US has become more dynamic and more mindful about issues linked to gender stereotyping, race and weight, we have seen some attempts by Mattel to turn Barbie into a more realistic symbol of the all-American woman.

Barbie's Controversies
United States is not the only country that is affected by the growing popularity and controversy raised by the doll. In 2003, Saudi Arabia's religious police have stated Barbie dolls a danger to morality, complaining that the revealing clothes of the toy — already banned in the kingdom — are offensive to Islam. The Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, as the religious police are officially known, lists the dolls on a segment of its Web site dedicated to items deemed offensive to the conservative Saudi understanding of Islam.

Enter Fulla
The Fulla Doll, first introduced in 2003, was marketed to the young crowd to cater the modern young Muslim women’s needs and wants. Its creators, New Boy Design Studios, created the Doll with Muslim values in mind much in bleak dissimilarity to the all-American Barbie who is well thought-out to be an iconic “role-model” for young girls worldwide. According to a 2005 New York Times article, Fulla Dolls’ triumph had resulted in Barbie doll’s sales falling in the Middle East.

Fulla's Inspiration
The Fulla Doll focused on this inspiration, parting off a mark on the importance of adhering to Islamic main beliefs. New Boy Design Studios has touched into the Muslim market by meaningfully connecting with parents who want to raise the next generation of practicing Muslims, just by providing a proper reference guide in the form of a toy.
“With so many negative influences in the world today, it is very easy for young children – girls and boys – to be attracted to amoral devices. Just switching on the television and hitting the wrong channel can expose a child to a whole world of hostility and superficiality.
Toys can also promote the same negative thing. Toys have a sensitive effect on their patrons especially among children. Kids are directly affected and influenced by toys and for this reason, the Barbie doll has faced sharp criticisms in the past for the sensual and physically flawless figure that Barbie emits.
But it is more than just the garments and the physical look of the doll that New Boy Design Studios has designed. In several interviews with the press, Fawaz Abidin, brand manager of Fulla, reminds the media that, “this isn't just about putting the hijab on a Barbie-like doll.” He cautions, “You have to create a character that parents and children will want to relate to.”