I don’t think Barbie poses much of a threat to Iran’s theocratic, oppressive government. But Harry Potter may be another story. The stories’ anti-totalitarianism and strong themes of intellectual independence rightly make Iranian officials nervous.
The New York Times reports (via Titanic Deck Chairs):
Iran’s prosecutor general railed on Sunday against the invasion of Barbie, Batman, Spider-Man and Harry Potter and demanded that the country’s young be protected against them, Agence France-Presse reported. Urging measures to safeguard “Islamic culture and revolutionary values,” the prosecutor, Ghorban-Ali Dorri Najafabadi [criticized the figures]… In July 2007 “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” went on sale in Tehran. Two years ago the police raided toy shops and put black stickers on the packaging of Barbie dolls to hide their bodies.
Iran had better go ahead and ban Deathly Hallows, before it’s too late!
Now you’ve done it; I have this image of Harry Potter flying out to Iran on his broom, pointing his wand at Ahmadinejad, and saying Avada Kedavra! …