Police have confiscated the blonde-haired dolls in Tehran as part of a ‘new phase’ in its plans to tackle ‘manifestations of western culture,’ according to an unnamed source.
A ban on the dolls, which are dressed in swimsuits and short skirts, was brought in back in the 1990s.
This was to combat the ‘Trojan horse’ that is Barbie, according to a government-endorsed children’s agency, which was sneaking western influences into a country in which women must wear headscarves in public and men and women are not allowed to swim together.
Iran has introduced its own pro-family values dolls called Dara and Sara but they have proved far less popular than the American blonde bombshell, and Western culture in general continues to be popular with Iranian youth.
Photo: Getty.
