Adding to the list of the items that are forbidden from sale in the Iran are Buddha statues and Barbie dolls, which are feared to cause cultural invasion of sorts in the conservative Islamic nation. The characters from the popular TV cartoon, The Simpsons are also not welcome in the nation.

Over the past few days, shops in Tehran were facing several crackdown and the Buddha statues in the shops were being confiscated to 

Authorities are confiscating Buddha statues from shops in the capital, Tehran, to kibosh the promotion of Buddhism in the country, a daily newspaper said. The use of Buddhist statues in Iran is fairly common but it is mostly to add to the ornamental value of their possessions. China made statues are freely available for purchase in Persian Gulf area in Iranian free-trade regions.

(AW- Anil)