‘Fine to caution, but coercion unacceptable’’

“We are treading into the territory of moral panic. What’s next? Banning Halloween? Burning storybooks,” Ali asked, while emphasising that the campaign against Labubu threatens to conflate mythology with legal discourse and risks targeting harmless personal expression under the guise of spiritual purity.

Ali said, “In a plural society, not everyone shares the same spiritual symbols or fears. It’s fine to caution, but coercion or public shaming is not acceptable.” However, scholar Abdul Kareem from Kozhikode said: “These are not merely toys. They carry symbolic power.” “We may not believe the dolls are evil, but belief is not the only issue. Exposure matters,” he warned.

Mariya Faisal, a 19-year-old collector in Kochi, felt differently. Labubu is like a secret handshake, said Mariya. “You’re either in the club, or you’re not. It’s art, not evil. Still, religious scholars urge fans to consider what they are glorifying,” she said.

‘Exorcism’, ban

Influencers across the globe have staged mock “exorcisms” of the dolls, while videos of Labubu dolls being burned have circulated on TikTok and Instagram. In some areas of Russia and Iraq’s Kurdistan region, the dolls have been banned.

$10,000 resale value

Labubu was first introduced in 2015 through Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung’s illustrated book series The Monsters. In his own words, Labubu is a mischievous but kind-hearted forest elf with no ties to any demonic tradition. Rare Labubu figures command resale prices upwards of $10,000.