It’s been a while since we first saw news of a Barbie doll, complete with hijab, modeled after Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad, who is now a sports ambassador for the U.S. State Department. The doll was unveiled (no pun intended) last November at Glamour’s Women of the Year Live Summit as the latest addition to Mattel’s “Shero” line. Get it? Female hero? Shero?
In any case, the doll is old news, but CNN is now on the case and really seems to be enamored with the thing. Here’s CNN’s new video:
For the first time ever, Barbie is wearing a hijab. The new doll is modeled after Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad and is part of broader effort by Mattel to diversify the Barbie line https://t.co/dqN1ufACf5 pic.twitter.com/IWJkWIHKnU
— CNN (@CNN) July 30, 2018
CNN also published an opinion piece by Muhammad last week in which she explained what it means to be an American:
I love my country, but I don’t recognize it today. Not in the Supreme Court ruling upholding the travel ban. Not in a Supreme Court nominee potentially engineered to undo reproductive choice, access to health care and the Russia investigation. Not in the family separation and detention policy. Not in our move to initiate trade wars and rally against breastfeeding and the World Health Organization. Not in the abandonment of allies and basic decency in how we treat other humans.
Ouch — well, she certainly made herself clear how she feels about the current administration in that piece.
Here’s the thing: we don’t begrudge any woman who chooses voluntarily to wear a hijab, but CNN’s editorial stance has been kind of weird; last April the network did a feature on rap video by Mona Haydar and her crew “swaggin’ with her hijabis.”
"Yo, what your hair look like?" Muslim women rap against intolerance https://t.co/h4hDfFPOr7 pic.twitter.com/2XvADXecnQ
— CNN (@CNN) April 5, 2017
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Not everyone’s buying it — and we’re not talking about the doll.
Here, now your children can know what oppression looks like.
— Kesara (@super_kesara) July 30, 2018
I still do not understand why this is a good thing. It isn’t the hijab a creation of men to oppress women? I’m not joking here and I’m not being right wing. As a college graduate with a women’s studies minor I do not get this at all
— Alyssa M. Kolat (@amkolat) July 30, 2018
I'm right there with ya?
— Rebecca D. (@Rebecca00893300) July 30, 2018
https://twitter.com/kebejay/status/1024065907104960512
I don’t even think it’s a symbol of oppression—I think it’s the TOOL of oppression. It is the actual weapon used against women to tell them that vehicles of men’s pleasure&baby making is all they’ll ever be. How Mattel can glorify that in the name of empowering women is beyond me
— Gabs (⌐■_■) (@blaiserbeam) July 30, 2018
The Hijab still arises from patriarchal values and is not a sign of emancipation. We should keep that in mind when Mattel diversifies the Barbie line. #Emancipation #Barbie
— Lukas Røder (@Lukas_K_Roeder) July 30, 2018
Mattel can glorify the Hijab because they think they are standing up for the little guy. They aren't. Hijab is used to tell Muslim women they are vessels of lust & sin so they should cover up. So if you are a man who rapes a woman it's her fault.
That's what they're empowering
— (((Avneet Paul))) (@avneet_paul) July 30, 2018
Inspiring? Yes, it should be, but we shouldn’t forget the hijab signifies oppression for Muslim women. How many women, & children have been beaten, even killed for not having this on. If anything it will open up discussions & understanding for young girls.
— Teri (@TadsBeau) July 30, 2018
As much as I respect muslim's women's choice to wear it, I find extremely disturbing, especially when you know, as a saudi woman explained to me, women need to wear burkhas to protect thm from men's impulses: WTF holy shit?
— ITMFA (@pattijaney) July 30, 2018
So you're celebrating the oppression and abuse of women?? Millions of women are silently suffering bc they cannot speak out and you are celebrating their enslavement. More than shame on you! You guys are disgusting sycophants who know NOTHING about the suffering in the ME!
— Cristina Laila (@cristinalaila1) July 31, 2018
— Barry Mihbalziner (@mihbalziner) July 30, 2018
So wrong
— Aileen Eglington (@AileenEglingto) July 30, 2018
https://twitter.com/venkat555552/status/1024073195543048193
Make oppression of women great again? Yuck.
— Dragon Empress (@DragonEmpressEn) July 30, 2018
Do they come with a clitoris? No pun intended! ?
— Nicola Reade-Lyons (@Minxky999) July 31, 2018
Thanks for the great news @CNN. Does she come with FGM or can we do that after we get her home?
— Dave (@dave_budoranch) July 30, 2018
https://twitter.com/Mark_EdwardsUSA/status/1024079105518645249
Isn’t this the same person who claimed she felt unsafe in this country?? She’s STILL HERE?? WOW, she must have been terrified?. The kickback from Mattel probably helps ease her awful torment??
— ??Kelli Thornhill⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@KelliThornhill1) July 30, 2018
Can #CNN do a documentary researching into the #hijab, the origin, its religious, cultural and political impact on the East and the West?
— Julius Olanipekun (@juliusola) July 30, 2018
Yeah, a CNN town hall or something would really go a long way toward explaining why the network is so hot for the hijab.
Related:
Can the hijab be a symbol of feminism? No, but the news media won’t stop trying to make the sale https://t.co/AICzd43YMi
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) May 21, 2017
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