Iran unveils Islamic twin dolls to fight culture war

Iran is introducing its answer to Barbie and Ken, boy and girl twin dolls who promote traditional values.

Dara and Sara are being marketed by the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults.

They are widely seen as an effort to counter the American dolls and accessories that have flooded the Iranian market.

"The dolls are most welcome. Dara and Sara are strategic products to preserve our national identity. And of course, it is an answer to Barbie and Ken, which have dominated Iran's toy market," toy seller Mehdi Hedayat said.

Another toy seller, Masoumeh Rahimi, said Barbie was "foreign to Iran's culture" because some of the popular Western dolls wear revealing clothing. She said young girls who play with Barbie, a doll she sees as wanton, could grow into women who reject Iranian values.

"I think every Barbie doll is more harmful than an American missile," Ms Rahimi said.

Dara and Sara were born as characters in elementary school books. Their story continues in tales in verse recorded on cassettes sold in stores along with the dolls.

In their adventures, the brother and sister help each other solve problems and turn to their loving parents for guidance.

All four models of Sara come with a white headscarf to cover either black or brown curls. One outfit consists of a knee-length, loose orange shirt, blue pants and white socks. Another is a flower-dotted shirt and a full-length flower-dotted white chador, a robe covering the body from head to toe. Dara comes in two outfits _ black pants, a white shirt and a black jacket or a beige shirt, blue pants and red jacket.

They each sell for 125,000 rials (£10). A real Barbie sells for 332,000 rials (£28) and Iranian-made copies sell for 25,000 rials (£1.50) in a country where the average monthly salary is 830,000 rials (£70).