Saudi bans Dolls, Stuffed Animals..

[chattywine]

I came across this article earlier and my thoughts keep wandering back to it.

Saudi Arabia Bans Dolls, Stuffed Animals

Interior Minister Prince Nayef ordered the ban which was relayed around the country by the national Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Al-Riyadh said.

The daily gave no reason for the ban, which could not be confirmed with government officials Wednesday. Strict interpretations of Islamic law ban representations of living beings and any exposure of the female figure.

The ban singled out stuffed-animal toys and female dolls. It did not mention male dolls and it was not clear if these were banned as well.

The order also ordered any mannequins for female clothes be ``far from any indecency’’ and prohibited the importation of crucifixes and models of Buddha, the newspaper said.

IIRC a while back they banned the Barbie dolls And now no more teddy bears? UFFA!
I just don’t get it. I could not for the life of me imagine confiscating Chattykid’s menagerie of stuffed animals.
What will they play with now…sticks and rocks?

[chattywine]

Latest news from around the world | The Guardian

That one works.

[Intaglio]

The children will play with the WMD that Coalition forces are unable to find in Iraq.

[Guinastasia]

So like, are they also taking them from people who already own them?

I can’t imagine prying a Teddy Bear from some poor kid’s arms!

[eenerms]

Someone in the states saw this and emailed me in Saudi Arabia. So far I haven’t seen or heard anything about it. Maybe today in the Arab News. I’m sure it will go along the same road as " All Taxi Drivers must be Saudi" (hasn’t happened) and the Segregation of all International Schools. (won’t happen)
Any other Saudi Dopers know of this ban?

[alibey]

I haven’t heard of it either, but then they did ban pokemon because it promoted gambling, like you don’t see Saudis in Las Vegas