The American Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad, was inspiration for the new Barbie doll, the first to wear a hijab, said the Matel brand on Twitter.
The thirty-year-old from New Jersey, the first American Olympic and the first athlete to compete with the hijab, won last year a bronze medal in women’s fencing.
In Rio, she debuted at the US team at the Olympics. She went there as an American Muslim, wanting everyone to show that she can compete in an elite sport.
Hijab Barbie
The Barbie Doll is made in her honor and is the first Barbie with a hijab in history.
In addition to the hijab, the doll made according to the Olympic model has a fencing suit, Nike shoes, a helmet and a sword.
The doll was presented on Monday at Glamour’s Women of the Year summit and is scheduled to be available for purchase in 2018. In a tweet, Muhammad wrote, “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.”
