Monday, October 13, 2003
Dolls embody Muslim principles
Big surprise: The scantily clad Barbie and her lay about buff boyfriend Ken aren't a big hit with the Muslim community. Seen by some as symbols of vanity, sin and excess, the duo doesn't exactly represent the principles of Islam -- modesty and submission to Allah.
Enter Razanne, a doll who is about the same size as Barbie, and sort of looks like her toy store counterpart (large eyes, slender, no fingers to speak of). They both also have a variety of costumes and accessories. But that's where the similarity ends, because Razanne is a Muslim doll, complete with modest attire -- think long sleeves rather than tube tops -- and headscarves. And maybe Razanne isn't as, um, endowed, as Barbie. Created by NoorArt Inc, based in Livonia, Mich., the doll comes in white, black and olive skin tones and can be purchased in outfits like school uniforms, "Play Day" outfit (colorful pants and tunic) and even an Eid Mubarak Razanne (there are several Eids on the Muslim calendar, each a celebratory event. Mubarak means "happy" or "joyous").
The In-Out Razanne's wardrobe also includes a short, flowery dress she can wear inside the home, in view only of men in her family. "Razanne represents to Muslim girls that they have options, goals and dreams and the ability to realize them," said Mimo Debryn, who bought the doll for her daughter, Jenna, four years ago. Jenna, who recently donned the veil after much soul-searching, said Razanne makes her "feel more comfortable about being a Muslim girl." But the doll's developer says the message can be more universal. "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 Ammar Saadeh, a Muslim who set up NoorArt Inc. with his wife and a few other investors seven years ago.
"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. Barbie manufacturer Mattel, for its part, has a Moroccan Barbie and a collector's doll they call Leyla -- a Muslim doll that comes with a back story of being a slave in a Turkish sultan's court in the 1720s. For real. It's these stereotypes -- "a belly dancer or a concubine" -- which motivated Saadeh to develop the Razanne complete with twists on all-American characters (there is a Muslim Girl Scout Razanne).
Astronaut Razanne is in the works. Of course, it's not just Muslims in the U.S. who aren't keen on Barbie and Ken. Just last year, an Iranian toymaker introduced the Sara and Dara dolls (the characters are longtime staples of Iranian schoolbooks -- a Dick and Jane brother-and-sister team, if you will). But, of course, Sara and Dara aren't going to mean much to Muslim kids in the U.S. who weren't schooled in Iran.
Even in the Middle East, Saadeh said those dolls are more "cultural and don't have mass appeal."The Razanne dolls, available through NoorArt's site (www.noorart.com) cost between $9.99 to $24.99 (the more accessories, the pricier the doll) and Saadeh estimates that about 30,000 have been sold through the Web site each year for the past four years. NoorArt also sells Muslim software, books, videos, puzzles and board games.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.