Imports of Barbie dolls and other Western toys will have destructive cultural and social consequences in Iran, the Islamic Republic's top prosecutor¹ was quoted as saying on Monday.
 
Imports of Barbie dolls and other Western toys will have destructive cultural and social consequences in Iran, the Iranian top prosecutor was quoted as saying on Monday.

Iran's clerical establishment often rails against the perceived dangers of US-inspired culture and consumerism, branding it "Westoxication."

But young Iranians are often keen consumers of such music, films and other goods from the West. Iconic toy brands can be bought in children's shops in the capital Tehran and elsewhere.

"The appearance of personalities² such as Barbie, Batman, Spiderman and Harry³ Potter and ... computer games and movies are all a danger warning to the officials in the cultural arena," said Prosecutor General Ghorban Ali Dori Najafabadi in a letter to Vice⁴ President Parviz Davoudi published in the Mardom Salari daily.

Najafabadi, a high-ranking cleric, said Iran was the world's third biggest importer of toys and suggested this posed a threat to the "personality and identity" of the new generation.

"The unrestrained entry of this sort of imported toys ... will bring destructive cultural and social consequences in their wake," he wrote.

He added many toys were smuggled⁵ into Iran and accused importers of concentrating on profits at the expense of cultural values.

 
有媒体报道，伊朗最高检察长本周一说，进口芭比娃娃等西方玩具将会给本国社会与文化带来破坏性影响。

伊朗的办事机构向来抵制美国文化与消费品的进入，并称之为“西方毒药”。

不过伊朗的年轻人却对西方的音乐、电影及商品情有独钟。在首都德黑兰等一些地方的儿童商店，随处可见欧美一些知名玩具品牌。

伊朗总检察长格本•阿里•杜里•纳贾法巴迪在给副总统帕维兹•达沃迪的一封信中写道：“芭比娃娃、蝙蝠侠、蜘蛛侠和哈利•波特等人物形象及各种电脑游戏和电影的大量进口应该引起文化领域官员们的警觉。”这封信在伊朗的《玛多姆•萨拉力日报》上发表。

纳贾法巴迪指出，伊朗是世界第三大玩具进口国，这将对年轻一代的“个性与身份认同”产生威胁。

他在信中写道：“无限制地进口这些玩具会给伊朗社会与文化带来破坏性的影响。”

他说，很多玩具都是通过走私进入伊朗的，并谴责这些商人为了赚取利益不惜牺牲本国传统文化价值观。