
“As feminists we believe that women must be able to make their own choices and that includes choices about the clothing they wear. But the burqa is more than a choice. Women are forced to wear the burqua or risk being murdered. Mattel should be ashamed. Making a profit by selling a doll that is clearly wearing a symbol of violence is not acceptable and there should be a public outcry to take this doll off the market.”
Of course, some women prefer the burqua to the sexualized fashions of the West. Mattel's new Burqua Barbie appears to be a limited edition doll made special to raise money for charity. Can anyone doubt that underneath the burqua, Barbie continues to plague with her traditional anorexia-inspiring body? Longtime feminist author Phyllis Chesler weighs in: "The burqa violates a woman’s human rights. It poses a danger to a woman’s health, both mental and medical."