Muslim Barbie Doll
Oct 15th, 2007, in News, by PatungSalma, Islamic barbie dolls for Indonesian girls.
In Depok, West Java, Sukmawati Suryaman designs “Salma” (from the Arabic “salamah”) dolls, a Muslim variant of the traditional, western, Barbie doll.
The actual dolls are imported from China, while Sukmawati makes the outfits, and by dressing the Salma dolls in Muslim dress, like in jilbab/headscarf and flowing Arab 
style robes, Sukmawati hopes that young girls will not only have fun but also learn important moral lessons. l6
As this video report explains Sukmawati got the idea for the Muslim barbie dolls after noticing her niece playing with western dolls in revealing, tight clothing, and she worried about the effects of this on the girl’s outlook and behaviour, and wondered why Indonesian girls couldn’t have dolls that better reflected their culture.
69 Comments on “Muslim Barbie Doll”
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Dimp says:
Hi HeavenlySword,
Well, I don’t see what’s wrong with selling those dolls anyway. It’s a legit business. I’d do it too if I had that opportunity.
Ofcourse nothing is wrong with doing business, but there is certainly something wrong with the way that some Indonesian uses religion (any religion) to gain financial advantage.
Anyway, should we then partnered up and start selling “Islamic” air?
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Ihaknt says:
Dimp the air should be called MUNAir…
Heavenly, team up with a bunch of tailor…I am sure many women would actually want jobs…unless of course they are not allowed to work by their husbands…because it’s haram.
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dewaratugedeanom says:
HeavenlySword said
He didn’t make a comparison, he just said by wearing a jilbab women might feel more dignified. I don’t think there’s something wrong with that statement.
He didn’t say “by wearing a jilbab women might feel more dignified”, he said “by wearing a jilbab muslim women might feel more dignified”. Do you see the difference?
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Hassan says:
dewaratugedeanom:
He didn’t say “by wearing a jilbab women might feel more dignified”, he said “by wearing a jilbab muslim women might feel more dignified”.
Why are you trying so hard to sound bigoted? You sounded as if you’re desperately trying to look for every way to undermine Muslims.
Besides, if you’re suggesting that only Muslim women can feel the benefit of wearing the Jilbab, then it also wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to be able to tell that only Balinese Hindus can feel the benefit of going to the Pura. Or that only Christian can feel the enlightenment of reading the Bible. So, what’s the point here?
Perhaps you just enjoy fussing the small stuff (‘nyinyir’). Capee deeeh! 😉
ihaknt:
Dimp the air should be called MUNAir”¦
I noticed that you have a habit of accusing certain elements of the Indonesian or Muslim society of being muna (hypocrit) in their actions. Perhaps some of them are indeed muna, within certain degrees. But if the very definition of muna is a state when a person’s words are different than his/her actions, or the failure to back his/her words with actions, then can we find a bigger muna than a person who professed to be a Muslim but fail to practice the religion in their daily life? *wink* *wink*
Self-retrospect is a good idea before we call names on other people. 🙂
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Janma:
Sadly though it is true, it’s due to men and their disrespect of women. they think women who wear revealing clothes deserve or are asking to be raped, do you think that Hassan?
Off course not, Janma. You almost sounded as if you’re stereotyping (Muslim) men, but I know that’s just a trick question on your part. 😉
I’m just saying that a woman who wears a Jilbab is more unlikely to arouse an immoral man’s desire than a woman who wears tight and revealing clothes.
They wear the jilbab with tight jeans and shirts, so I’m not sure what it’s really about.
It’s east meets west at it’s worst. 😀
They’re trying to wear the Jilbab, but did not want to miss out on the latest fashion. The result is a dress which is neither here nor there.
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HeavenlySword says:
@dewa
He didn’t say “by wearing a jilbab women might feel more dignified”, he said “by wearing a jilbab muslim women might feel more dignified”. Do you see the difference?
I don’t see any difference at all Dewa 🙂 of course jilbab mostly wore by moslems but my point is that he didn’t make a comparison at all. It’s like me saying: by wearing a cross necklace, christian people feel holier/diginified or what have you. By that I didn’t mean that I have a higher status than other believers 🙂
It will be a different case if Hassan made a comparison by saying: ‘by wearing a jilbab, muslim women [might] feel more dignified than christian women’ 🙂
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Ofcourse nothing is wrong with doing business, but there is certainly something wrong with the way that some Indonesian uses religion (any religion) to gain financial advantage.
It’s business and that’s how the gear rotates. I just don’t see anything wrong with it. Except if you take it to a radical level. Like what happened in the past, where saints charge people money to have their sins forgiven.
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Heavenly, team up with a bunch of tailor”¦I am sure many women would actually want jobs”¦unless of course they are not allowed to work by their husbands”¦because it’s haram.
There you said it 🙂 See the good thing about it is that it creates employment. Which is good. I’d say be more positive about things in life even those around you oppose you in many ways 🙂 I see good things in moslem people.
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Janma says:
Actually hassan, I don’t think it’s just muslim men…. many men are like that… “she was raped? What was she wearing? A mini Skirt? Her own fault!” not just muslims…. many men think that way in many societies.
I don’t agree with you that women who wear jilbab are more likely to arouse an immoral mans desire than a woman who wears tight and revealing clothes. many many men are turned on by the whole jilbab thing… it’s not the women who need to modify their behaviour to deal with this problem, it’s the men that need fixing. -
oops….. sorry i said that the wrong way around….
don’t agree with you that women who wear jilbab are more likely to arouse an immoral mans desire than a woman who wears tight and revealing clothes.
should read I don’t agree with you that women who wear jilbab are less likely to arouse an immoral mans desire than women who wear tight and revealing clothes…. sheeesh….. dyslexic
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should read I don’t agree with you that women who wear jilbab are less likely to arouse an immoral mans desire than women who wear tight and revealing clothes”¦. sheeesh”¦.. dyslexic
Aside of which is right / wrong, if I see two women at the same time one with jilbab and one with mini skirt tight and revealing clothes, the last one captures my attention by miles. 🙂
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Tungkwato says:
What a load of chauvinistic crap!
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actually there is quite a thing on the internet with men wanting to see women in jilbab “doing it” love… also lots of ‘working women’ report being asked to dress up in a jilbab…
women in revealing clothes are not exactly mysterious and are often boring to men… besides, if men are always seeing womans body parts it becomes biasa, it’s only men who are denied this that are obsessed with it. women in bali bathe naked by the side of the road alongside the men, there is no obssession about it, no rape and no carrying on like there is amongst men who are surrounded by hidden women. -
actually there is quite a thing on the internet with men wanting to see women in jilbab “doing it” love”¦ also lots of ‘working women’ report being asked to dress up in a jilbab”¦
I think that in the case of perverted men, whatever dress that women wears or no matter how they look, perverts will always find ways to amuse themselves. 😉
Not all men are like that though, most men aren’t.
it’s not the women who need to modify their behaviour to deal with this problem, it’s the men that need fixing.
Yes, I agree. Men and women need to help each other in this department. Men should be more decent and show more restrain, and women should help men in their efforts by dressing decently as well (because women should realize that normal men are naturally attracted to the woman’s physique). Like they say, it takes two to tango.
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why shouldn’t women dress attractively? I don’t understand what’s wrong with it?!!! they were given the power to attract by their very nature… nothing to be ashamed of. why should we buy into the whole ‘we need to help men’ rigamorale!? so many times I’ve heard men and women excusing men, saying ‘udah darisananya’ while gazing heavenward… meaning like men can’t help the way they are, it’s their nature to be lusty and to not be able to control themselves around women, like God made them like that… that’s just pathetic… you men want to rule the world, be in charge tell everyone what to do and you can’t even control yourselves! if it’s ‘udah darisananya’ and God made you like that, then womens sexuality and power to attract is also ‘darisana’ and that’s just the way it is… so religion, morality and self control should help the poor little penis brains to get a grip… stop trying to put the onus on the women.
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Achmad Sudarsono says:
Well said, Janma. If women want to dress attractively, they need to be encouraged. What’s with these wankers who want to stop them wearing tank-tops, low-cut dresses, tight jeans, or anything which shows those beautiful womanly curves in all their manifestations.
On the subject of curves, let’s liberate ourselves as well. Right now, the fashion and media world is suffering from a particularly tyranny: the taste of gay male fashion designers. They love the skinny, waifish, tall look for a special reason: it best shows off their beloved creations.
We real men have always preferred natural curves. Look at sexy pictures (porn is an ugly word), from 100 years ago. It was all raphaelite. In Africa, it’s all big-bottom-big-bottom-talk about bun-cakes, my girl’s got-’em. Not to say skinny is unsexy, just that womanhood needs to be appreciated in all her guises.
That’s why she should be allowed to display such guises as she pleases. Amusingly, the Malaysian women get around the Muslim thing in sneaky ways, slits up the thigh, tight around the waist. It’s awesome.
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love this!
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Tuan says:
I can’t speak for all who wear the jilbab but ones I know where it because it is their choice and its how they want to express their religious beliefs. So what if they are catering to families and individuals that want to see their beliefs reflected in an item of pop culture. In the US, American Muslims are looking to have a voice in the public, particularly on TV shows like Sleeper Cell, Little Mosque on the Praire, Aliens In America and so on.
There’s nothing original about Indonesian culture..its a mish mosh of everything that landed on the island. A lot of the arabic words are in Bahasa, keybay is dervied from abaya, the food is rip off of Chinese, Indian, Arabic, and whatever, etc. So quit with the whole Indonesian culture pride. It’s nothing unique.
As for the dolls, more power to them.
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Achmad Sudarsono said
If women want to dress attractively, they need to be encouraged. What’s with these wankers who want to stop them wearing tank-tops, low-cut dresses, tight jeans, or anything which shows those beautiful womanly curves in all their manifestations.
‘Achmad tells it like it is’.
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On the subject of curves, let’s liberate ourselves as well.
I think Asian women need to develop curves first..lol (kidding).
Personally I see nothing wrong with women wanting to dress they want. Piety does not come from a piece of cloth.
But for those don’t live in the West, there is a need for representation of different ethnic or religious groups in pop culture. Mattel (producer of Barbie) has produced a variety of looks for different ethnic groups in America. There is black barbie and hispanic barbie, etc. This is all done in the name of showing diversity where before you had a blond blue eyed barbie that was marketed to everyone as a role model and based the standard of beauty on a blonde blue eyed woman. To sum it up, there is no difference in having a Muslim barbie doll that gives young Muslim girls a role model and again more power to them.
~Tuan – Indonesian American Muslim
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Cukurungan says:
Janma said:
God made them like that”¦ that’s just pathetic”¦ you men want to rule the world, be in charge tell everyone what to do and you can’t even control yourselves! if it’s ‘udah darisananya’ and God made you like that, then womens sexuality and power to attract is also ‘darisana’ and that’s just the way it is”¦ so religion, morality and self control should help the poor little penis brains to get a grip”¦ stop trying to put the onus on the women.
Cukurungan :
We the real men don’t like an ideas to control our own penis…… just let him to response naturally whatever condition is…let him wake-up if he want so and let him sleep if he want sleep …because our brain has more important tasks rather than the penis controlling matters.
If you have a vision actually this penis issue have been taking tolls not only in the western countries but also in the Asia…….wide spread Priest pedo, pedo tourism and bules english teacher shagging underage girls are clear evidence and actual cost of that..
Being victims of the tyranny feminism..now many bule penis have been suffered what so called “selective disfunctional erection”…
……they couldn’t function properly anymore when the meet the bule pussy…..because
too often being controlled and suppressed .. finally many of them have to cross the sea and sky in searching for an ASIA pussy and hole which can be fxxxk while without much demanding. -
Being victims of the tyranny feminism..now many bule penis have been suffered what so called “selective disfunctional erection””¦
“¦”¦they couldn’t function properly anymore when the meet the bule pussy”¦..because
too often being controlled and suppressed .. finally many of them have to cross the sea and sky in searching for an ASIA pussy and hole which can be fxxxk while without much demanding.Without “tyrannical feminism,” I would not have opportunity to have that sweet lily white bule pussy (just playing 😛 )
~Tuan – Indonesian American Muslim
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Hassan, if you meant me, then be a man and just say so. I am not going to hide the fact I don’t practice my Islamity (Don’t really care if this is a word), to me that’s not being muna. But I know I am a good, caring, compassionate, loving person, who take care of my family, and I know I don’t kill people to get my message across like some people would. I was born a muslim and cant be bothered changing it. All religions to me basically teach the same things. If I had the choice, I would’ve asked not to be born. If you were somewhat offended by my comment then…maybe you are muna.
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A bit out of context: My sister and I just found out that the old version of Barbie has bigger chest and tanned compared to the new ones. I tried fitting the old Barbie clothes to my niece’s barbie doll and it was too big. Newer Barbies have flatter chest. It is also more pale and more blonde. I wonder whether they made it to reduce the materials used, or because the new barbie dolls are sold in Indonesia they have different specs, or bullimic look is the new trend. Has anybody realized this?
Will the jilbab ones sell, because I think lots of girls like the princess, ballerina and party outfits. And what will Ken look like, with gamis and goaties?
Btw, there was a “Padang Barbie” at one time, if I’m not mistaken.
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Parvita:
A bit out of context: My sister and I just found out that the old version of Barbie has bigger chest and tanned compared to the new ones. I tried fitting the old Barbie clothes to my niece’s barbie doll and it was too big. Newer Barbies have flatter chest. It is also more pale and more blonde. I wonder whether they made it to reduce the materials used, or because the new barbie dolls are sold in Indonesia they have different specs, or bullimic look is the new trend. Has anybody realized this?
Just look at the top supermodels,… of course they are pandering to the anorexic look. What is sad that a lot of the young girls in the WEST think this is what a woman should look like and fall into bulimia or anorexia. Which is why I think having a doll that shows a bit diversity in looks is not a bad idea.. so what if they are targeting a muslim audience that have different way of dressing or looking.
There’s also another Muslim barbie named Rayan I think. Same concept but different skin colors for Caucasian/Arab, African, and brown-skinned races. I made a complaint stating they don’t have an Asian version since a large Muslim population is Asian.
My only complaint about Salma is that facially she does not look Indonesian, and looks a little like a Caucasian/Arab.
Btw, there was a “Padang Barbie” at one time, if I’m not mistaken.
I think there was a Malaysian barbie and perhaps an Indonesian barbie that was part of the international line where they had a barbie doll from each country.
Malaysian Barbie:
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e325/rounder23/Ebay7/21565-1.jpghttp://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e325/rounder23/Ebay7/21565.jpg
Sumatran Barbie:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41u3uYBknFL._SS500_.jpg -
😀 Parvita you actually brought my early childhood memory where I entered my Barbie for a traditional dress pageant. My gramma made the outfit, it was Javanese, she didnt win, but it was a fun experience, I dont remember who won. But now you mentioned about Padang Barbie, I cant help wondering why it wasnt made as a continuous event. It was a good way to introduce diversity of OUR heritage to little girls. I remember seeing the “Dayak” Barbie and thought it was very interesting.
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Phil Hicker says:
Why would you guys bother to debate about jilbab? Today is a modern world we are living in. Just replace jilbab with wig, isn’t more interesting, and it also hides your ‘dodgy’ part, Ladies?
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As far as I see it barbies are made by westerners…. being apologists and capitalists they have made them all colors and creeds for people all over the world.. Indonesia wants to complain about no indonesian barbie? Why not make something yourselves? Then it will be an indonesian barbie.
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Janma, some barbies are made IN Indonesia. Altho most in China…but that was ageeess ago when I was a kid.
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Made in Indonesia but not for an indonesian company.
They probably had to move the factory to Vietnam or china where workers don’t stop the production line for prayers 3 times a day!
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Alas my sewing skill isn’t good enough to start the business 🙂