Razanne
Encyclopedia
Razanne is a series of dolls designed and produced by Ammar Saadeh, a Palestinian
expatriate living in Michigan
, United States
.
The dolls hit the consumer markets in 1996. Inspired by the American
doll Barbie
, Razanne is aimed, according to Saadeh, to help Muslim
girls develop self-esteem and to dream. Razanne has a pre-pubescent figure, and all Razanne dolls are equipped with hijab
. The United States media already calls Razanne the Muslim Barbie. There are also some further toys and accessories featuring Razanne as a character including a colouring book.
Saadeh hopes the doll will sell well in countries such as Kuwait
and the United Arab Emirates
, where it began selling in 2004. The doll is expected to sell well in Saudi Arabia
, where the doll also debutted in 2004, because Saudi Arabian religious police have banned Barbie there, citing it as a threat to Muslim values.
Apart from sales in the United States, the dolls are also sold in the United Kingdom
, Canada
, Germany
and Singapore
.
Another current doll featuring a positive, but identifiably Islamic female character is the Fulla
doll marketed in Saudi Arabia
, Brazil
, China
, and Egypt
. It is sold more profitably than Razanne.
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
expatriate living in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The dolls hit the consumer markets in 1996. Inspired by the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
doll Barbie
Barbie
Barbie is a fashion doll manufactured by the American toy-company Mattel, Inc. and launched in March 1959. American businesswoman Ruth Handler is credited with the creation of the doll using a German doll called Bild Lilli as her inspiration....
, Razanne is aimed, according to Saadeh, to help Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
girls develop self-esteem and to dream. Razanne has a pre-pubescent figure, and all Razanne dolls are equipped with hijab
Hijab
The word "hijab" or "'" refers to both the head covering traditionally worn by Muslim women and modest Muslim styles of dress in general....
. The United States media already calls Razanne the Muslim Barbie. There are also some further toys and accessories featuring Razanne as a character including a colouring book.
Saadeh hopes the doll will sell well in countries such as Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
and the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
, where it began selling in 2004. The doll is expected to sell well in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, where the doll also debutted in 2004, because Saudi Arabian religious police have banned Barbie there, citing it as a threat to Muslim values.
Apart from sales in the United States, the dolls are also sold in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
.
Another current doll featuring a positive, but identifiably Islamic female character is the Fulla
Fulla (doll)
Fulla is the name of an 11½ inch Barbie-like fashion doll marketed to children of Islamic and Middle-Eastern countries as an alternative to Barbie. Her concept evolved around 1999, and she hit stores in late 2003. Fulla was created by a UAE manufacturer from Dubai called NewBoy FZCO...
doll marketed in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, and Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. It is sold more profitably than Razanne.