Barbie Celebrates 50 Years with Burka Barbie?

Wow, you all knew it was coming.

Let's all rejoice at the notion of Barbie embracing the symbol of oppressed women in Islamic society.

One of the world's most famous children's toys, Barbie, has been given a makeover - wearing a burkha.
Wearing the traditional Islamic dress, the iconic doll is going undercover for a charity auction in connection with Sotheby's for Save The Children.
More than 500 Barbies went on show yesterday at the Salone dei Cinquecento, in Florence, Italy.

Burkha Barbie: The iconic doll wearing traditional Islamic dress

Makers Mattel are backing the exhibition which is the work of Italian designer Eliana Lorena.

The auction is part of Barbie celebrations for her 50th anniversary this year. The UK's biggest Barbie fan Angela Ellis, 35, has a collection of more than 250 dolls. READ MORE>>

It's one thing to have Barbie in traditional Japanese or Indian dress, but a burka?

The embrace of the burka by the fashion industry is one trend that has not been received well.

Burka Hits the Catwalk

One fashion commentator poignantly adds (fashionindie.com--Take it off: Designers Exalt Burka):

And if pimping out religious and cultural symbols isn’t bad enough, the fact that a burka is a sign of women’s oppression in Islam picks up the slack. Since when is it right to glorify something that persecutes women worldwide?

This isn’t fashion. This is a cotton prison.