'Morality police' crack down on Barbie

Iranian officials battle to keep Western influences out

According to a report on the US network, Fox News, Iran's morality police is trying to stop sales of Mattel's Barbie in a bid to prevent the Westernisation of the Islamic nation.

"About three weeks ago, they came to our shop asking us to remove all the Barbies," a toy shop owner in northern Tehran told Reuters.

Back in 1996 authorities tried to stop the doll being sold but was not successful.

Fox News also reported that in 2011 Iranian authorities tried to stop an outbreak of water-gun fights, carried out by young people who dared to have fun.

"This is a warning to young people that we will not accept these types of organized activities and unacceptable behavior anywhere in our country," the head of Tehran's morality police, Ahmad Roozbehani, said at the time.

"My daughter prefers Barbies," a 38-year-old mother named Farnaz told Reuters.

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