Figure 1.--Herecwe see a Tajik girl with her doll. You feed this and change its outfits. Source: William Fergusson collection. |
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Dolls also seem to be very popular in the Arab and wider Muslim world. This is interesting because generally in the Muslim world, the productin of figurines or art wrk depicting the human form is frowned on and in some cases prohobitited. The Taliban for example rampages through Afgani museums and archives destroying art works and historic photographs. This of course was the exrteme, but except for Shia Islam (with it Persian heritage) sculpture, figurines, and art depicting people has been discouraged. As far as we can tell, dolls for little girls are an exception. A factor here may be the importance that the Koran places on motherhood and the family. The dolls we note are imported Western-style dolls, often from China. This means that many new do not come dressed in local fashions. We do not know to what extent Muslim girls historically played with dolls. Our British reader tells us, "The Kuwait girls were wonderful with their teddy's and dolls. I remember one girl was not doing her maths. She was holding her teddy. When I asked her why she was not working on numeracy she replied that her teddy 'needed feeding'!"
Dolls also seem to be very popular in the Arab and wider Muslim world. This is interesting because generally in the Muslim world, the productin of figurines or art wrk depicting the human form is frowned on and in some cases prohobitited. The Taliban for example rampages through Afgani museums and archives destroying art works and historic photographs. This of course was the exrteme, but except for Shia Islam (with it Persian heritage) sculpture, figurines, and art depicting people has been discouraged or prhibited. Surprisingly given the strength of this injunction, there is no explicit prohibition in the Koran against human figures, including that of Mohammad. Nor is there such a prohibition against images of Allah himself. This includes all images including carved, painted or drawn depictions. Muslims do point out one Koranic verse: "(Allah is) the originator of the heavens and the earth ... (there is) nothing like a likeness of Him" (42: 11). Islamic scholars interpret this as meaning man can not begin to capture the infinite beauty and grandeur of Allah. To even attempt such an effort is thus seen as an insult to Allah. Islamic scholars have taken the rather extreme leap and applied this same injunction to Mohammed. (Which is interesting becase Muslims tend to be ffended when as was once common to refer to them as Mohammedians.)
Muslims also brng up another verse: "(Abraham) said to his father and his people: 'What are these images to whose worship you cleave?' They said: 'We found our fathers worshipping them.' He said: 'Certainly you have been, you and your fathers, in manifest error'" (21: 52-54). Islamic scholars have interreted this to mean that images can give rise to idolatry. Other Islamic religious scholarship has gone much further than the Koran. The Hadith (accounts from Mohammad and his companions do explicitly prohibits images of Allah, Mohammad as well as the major prophets of the Christian and Jewish traditions--many of whom are mentined in the Koran. Flowing from this, Islamic tradition has discouraged the figurative depiction of humans and even other animals. Plant life is treated somewhat differetly. This is why Islamic art has focused on the decorative. Caligraphy (odten Koranic verses) has been raised to an important art form because of these limitatins. A major exceotion to this atistic tradition is Shia Islam, because of the Persian artistic tradition. Images of the Prophet, however, even in Shia Islam are basically limited to the 7th century.
Muslims seem to be making an exception to the Islamic tradition regarding human and and animal figurinsxand depictions when it comes to toys for children. I am not sure if this is a recent development
or one of long standing. As far as we can tell, dolls for little girls are an exception to the Islamic concern with the production of human figures. Presumably the issues has been discussed by Koranic scholars. Here we are unfamilr with any such discussion. A factor here may be the importance that the Koran places on motherhood and the family. As the Islamic tradition also discourages animal depictions and figurines, an exception has also been made for nimal cuddle toys lke teddies.
The dolls we note are imported Western-style dolls, often from China. This means that many new do not come dressed in local fashions. We have noted compaies spring up to produce more modest clothing for imported dolls. In some cases this has included the extremnely conservative dress of countries like Sauidi Arabia. As far as we know, however, this has not included the veil as even Saudi girls would not want o cover the faces of their dolls. Another problem with imported dolls is the hair. Even in Muslim countries where Western dress is common, womn are expected to vover their hair fully or in part. This has come up in the European debate over head scarves. Dolls which are primarily made for the Western market often have long flowing hair which is pat of the attraction to little girls as they can make it up in different ways. We see these dolls appearing in the Muslim world.
We do not know to what extent Muslim girls historically played with dolls.
We have noted Muslim grls playing with dolls in many different countries, including Arab countries. Our British reader tells us, "The Kuwait girls were wonderful with their teddy's and dolls. I remember one girl was not doing her maths. She was holding her teddy. When I asked her why she was not working on numeracy she replied that her teddy 'needed feeding'!"
I am not sure to what extent Muslim girls name their dolls. Almost surely they must. Here I do not know hat names are used. As the dolls all seem to be girl dolls, femnales names would be chosen. I do not know if the names of Koranic women are permitted, like Fatima.
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