D'oh! Simpsons dolls join Barbie on Iran's banned list

TEHRAN // An Iranian government-affiliated agency has banned dolls of the Simpsons cartoon characters, who join Barbie and others on a toy blacklist, an independent newspaper reported.

The report says the Simpsons were banned to avoid the promotion of western culture. But Superman and Spiderman were allowed, because they helped the "oppressed".

"We do not want to promote this cartoon by importing the toys," the Shargh daily quoted Mohammad Hossein Farjoo, the secretary of policymaking at the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults, as saying.

He did not elaborate on what was wrong with the Simpsons specifically. But he noted that any doll on which genitals are distinguishable, as well as dolls of adults, are banned. So were toys with speakers that blare out the voices of western singers, or toy kitchen sets that include glasses for drinking alcoholic beverages.

Mr Farjoo said however that dolls of Spiderman and Superman were authorised for sale. "They help oppressed people and they have a positive stance."

The agency is the same that called Barbie dolls a "Trojan horse" in 1996. In January, police said they closed down dozens of toy shops for selling Barbies.

Since the 1979 Islamic revolution that ousted a pro-western monarchy, Iran has tried to fight western cultural influence.

Despite bans on many books, movies, satellite television channels, music, haircuts and fashion from the West, many young people follow western culture avidly and can often obtain illegal products on the black market.

In 2011, Iran imported US$57 million (Dh209.2m) worth of toys. Officials believe some $20 million more worth of toys were smuggled across the border the same year.

One in four of Iran's population of 75 million is under 15 years old.

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Global institutions: BlackRock and KKR

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Visa changes give families fresh hope

Foreign workers can sponsor family members based solely on their income

Male residents employed in the UAE can sponsor immediate family members, such as wife and children, subject to conditions that include a minimum salary of Dh 4,000 or Dh 3,000 plus accommodation.

Attested original marriage certificate, birth certificate of the child, ejari or rental contract, labour contract, salary certificate must be submitted to the government authorised typing centre to complete the sponsorship process

In Abu Dhabi, a woman can sponsor her husband and children if she holds a residence permit stating she is an engineer, teacher, doctor, nurse or any profession related to the medical sector and her monthly salary is at least Dh 10,000 or Dh 8,000 plus accommodation.

In Dubai, if a woman is not employed in the above categories she can get approval to sponsor her family if her monthly salary is more than Dh 10,000 and with a special permission from the Department of Naturalization and Residency Dubai.

To sponsor parents, a worker should earn Dh20,000 or Dh19,000 a month, plus a two-bedroom accommodation

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.