RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia has banned the importation of female dolls and stuffed animals, giving merchants three months to dispose of such stock, a state-guided newspaper reported Wednesday.
Interior Minister Prince Nayef ordered the ban that was relayed around the country by the national Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Al-Riyadh said.
The daily gave no reason for the ban, which could not be confirmed with government officials Wednesday. Strict interpretations of Islamic law ban representations of living beings and any exposure of the female figure.
The ban singled out stuffed-animal toys and female dolls. It did not mention male dolls and it was not clear if these were banned as well.
The order also required any mannequins for female clothes be "far from any indecency" and prohibited the importation of crucifixes and models of Buddha, the newspaper said.
The ban comes at a time when some in Saudi Arabia have questioned whether the country’s strict Islamic law fuels Islamic militancy. The kingdom’s rulers have launched a crackdown on militants after deadly suicide bombings this year in Riyadh.
They also have appeared to be taking steps toward moderation and limited reform. The government gave directives to mosque preachers, amended religious textbooks and promised local elections — a first for a country that has no parliament.
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