Yasmeen Suri sparked ridicule after claiming that the Barbie, which offers up several "guided meditation exercises," was demonic.
Mattel
A Christian micro-influencer has sparked ridicule after she said that a yoga-themed Barbie doll spreads satanism and could lead to children being "possessed by demons."
Yasmeen Suri, who has close to 21,000 followers on Facebook, shared a photo of Mattel's "Breathe With Me" Barbie doll in a post warning parents against the toy. The Barbie, which retails for $24.99, is seated cross-legged and plays five "guided meditation exercises," according to its website.
Suri's post, which received more than 73,000 reactions and 47,000 comments, said: "'Yoga Barbie' is at Target on the shelf. Satan always comes as appearing innocent. He will never come with horns and a pitchfork."
Noting that "yoga is Hinduism," Suri said it was impossible to "separate the poses from the religion."
"Each pose is designed to invoke a Hindu deity in the spirit realm. I have seen children get possessed by demons," she continued.
"Satan is after the children. He wants to use them and indoctrinate them for his glory. Then, when he is done, he will destroy them. As your kids grow, they will get rebellious, depressed, and many will be suicidal. You won't understand what's happening as a parent," Suri said. "You must remove all toys and clean your children's room of all demonic attachments."
The post has sparked widespread ridicule, with many users trolling her in the comments.
"My daughter has recently been doing yoga. It's been really good for her. Enjoying the red tint in her eyes, too, brings a nice ambiance to the room," one person wrote.
"I did a sun salutation pose once, and then I woke up the next day in my church covered in blood. Just one yoga caused me much grief," another user commented.
While yoga is rooted in Hinduism, Hindus are not the religious group most likely to practice yoga – even in India, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted last year. As of 2016, more than 36 million Americans of all religions and beliefs practice yoga regularly for different physical and mental health benefits.
Suri did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, but she reaffirmed her beliefs in an interview with Newsweek.
"There are some professing Christians that have no issues with the teachings behind yoga and there are some that do. I am one that does. Yes, I do believe when we open ourselves up to occult-based practices, there are dangers of demonic activity," she told the outlet.
According to her website, Suri was born in India and "raised believing in the gods of her culture." She was "delivered from many New Age beliefs and false religious doctrines" after going to the US and having an "amazing encounter with Jesus Christ."
In one of her older posts, she also warned people against the "Harry Potter" franchise and Disney's "Frozen" for their depictions of witchcraft and sorcery.
Insider has reached out to Mattel for comment.
