Mainstream Turkish daily Aksam’s front page report says that a new Islamic doll Elif has replaced the Barbie dolls in Turkey’s toy market. Elif doll kneels and performs namaz (Islamic prayer). When its hands, feet and chest are pressed Elif recites various sura from the Koran in Arabic, and chants Islamic prayers in Turkish too. Accessories to Elif doll, such as a toy laptop, teach toddler to six-year-old girls about Islamic rules and namaz rituals.
It is reported that Elif and a similar doll Hilal are in great demand in the growing Islamic toys market in Turkey. The Islamicized versions of well known board games, such as the Monopoly, are also very popular in Turkey.
Source: Aksam, Turkey, October 20, 2007
