Yes...the title is right, there is such thing as a fully dressed Barbie. Granted she's not a blond but a tall brunette, everything else is just the way it should be. Luscious long hair, inviting eyes. Long legs and curves that real woman can only dream of. Fulla is just like Barbie, she's even got the accessories. Pink perfect retractable house. Pink convertible sports car. Pink praying mat, it's all there. Wait a minute... Pink praying mat??? Yep you got it. By now you've probably guessed it. Fulla is Muslim, she is covered from head to toe, and as s fully practicing Muslim she gets an assorted praying mat.

I pride myself in being an open minded, culturally inclined, educated individual but I'll be honest with you, my first reaction to the Fulla doll was something like: what the ....

I thought; what's the point of having a Barbie doll if she's going to look like my grandma? Isn't Barbie suppose to look good. Don't little girls love and identify with Barbie because of all the fashionable clothing make up and accessories. That's what I thought and that's when it donned on me. Fulla is actually fulfilling that very purpose. Okay, we agree that the brown potato-sac looking head cloth doesn't do the job very well, but I'm not sure little girls are intimidated by that. When I was a child, what I loved the most about Barbie was to make new clothes for her. I had a mini sewing machine and I was always on it. Every piece of colorful rag I could lay my hands on was domed to become piece of clothing for Barbie. I suppose little Muslim girls are no different. In fact there is a thriving fashion industry in the Muslim world for little girls to imitate. The art of been fashionable without showing any skin. Have a look at the totally girly Hegab Rehab web site, you'll see what I'm talking about. Girls will be girls, hidjab or not, it's all about the fashion.

I still haven't fully made up my mind on the educational front. Clearly Fulla,and Barbie are tool for socialization. One may argue rightfully so, that Barbie isn't our finest female model. Yes Barbie is independent, she's got a great job and she can be whatever she wants if she sets her mind to it. But let's be real here. She hasn't made it to fame because of her brains. It's all about the looks baby, and that's the final message your daughter is getting. Fulla is no different in my mind. Even fully dressed she still manages to fall into the same trap. Yes she's Muslim, but the messagei the same. Pretty is the key! Fulla is about the looks. Not about the brains. Not even about the religion. The religion is accessorie, the real message is... How can a girl be pretty when she is wearig a hidjab. Fulla will teach you. It's all about looking good, that's it. Little western girls can find happiness in prettiness. Now Arab girls can too.

That said, I must admit that Fulla is different from Barbie at least in this way. Fulla does not have a boyfriend!!! Yes you heard. No boyfriend, not dating for Fulla. Can you imagine Barbie without Ken. Sad but true, no prince charming for Fulla.

Is it that the Muslim minds behind the doll are afraid that little girls in the Arab world would engage Fulla in reprehensible activities behind closed doors? Or is it that they might actually undress Ken? We'll never know, but the questions is not useless. If dolls are meant to help little girls in their socialization process, a world without males is hardly helpful. Playing house is part of the normal development of so many of us. When little girls play with dolls they learn to identify with their mothers in their behavior, their vocabulary and in their physical appearance. Ken is a wonderful tool because it allows girls to better portray and learn from the interactions of females with male. If mommy isn't doing anything naughty, Fulla shouldn't either. (Ok maybe not quite true.) But even if Fulla was naughty, isn't that also part of the learning process. Don't we all want little children to explore the human body and understand the affectionate gestures of adults in the proper setting. If only to remain consistent with educational goal, I say Fulla should get a male friend. Call him the husband, the fiance are what ever you prefer. Little girls should be encouraged to explore and portray the interactions of adult couples in the Muslim style if that's the world live in. Instead, the absence of a male doll creates a restriction and sends a questionable message.

Any woman with even the slightest feminist incline, has a lot of negative to say about Barbie. Thanks to Fulla, if you're a Muslim feminist you now have your share of greaf to vent. Fulla isn't much different from Barbie. the same old cliches are now available for little Muslim girls to wrestle with. What does it prove? Not much other then that the wold keeps going rond. Nothing has been reinvented.