Barbie models new hijab doll after Olympic fencer

Ibtihaj Muhammad, first American hijab-wearing Olympian, inspires new doll, set to hit shelves early next year

By Cansu Dikme

ANKARA (AA) – The iconic Barbie doll has added a new look to her wardrobe: a hijab, modelled on a famed Olympics fencer.

“We are so excited to honor Ibtihaj Muhammad with a one-of-a-kind Barbie doll! Ibtihaj continues to inspire women and girls everywhere to break boundaries,” said the official Twitter account of Barbie on Monday.

Ibtihaj Muhammad, the first Muslim American to compete at the Olympics while wearing a hijab, won a bronze medal in fencing at the 2016 Rio Games.

"I’m proud to know that little girls everywhere can now play with a Barbie who chooses to wear hijab! This is a childhood dream come true,” Muhammad wrote on Twitter.

The doll is the latest addition to Barbie’s “Sheroes” program, which honors female heroes for inspiring girls by “breaking boundaries and expanding possibilities for women everywhere.”

Mattel, a California-based toy company, will make the new doll available for sale next year.

Barbie’s “Sheroes” includes Oscar-nominated director Ava Duvernay and Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast Gabby Douglas.

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