Target: Mehmet Falakali, former head of the tourism ministry’s Selcuk office
Goal: Stop the festival of camel wrestling occurring in Turkey.
The 40th year of the Camel Wrestling Festival has taken place in Turkey last week. This event takes place annually and thousands of people attend. This year, 152 camels wore saddles and cloths on their humps. The camels wear muzzles to prevent them from using their teeth on each other but nonetheless they fight in sandy areas for everyone to watch. There are referees present as well. The audience sets up tables to barbecue and celebrate the event on the sidelines. This event draws criticism nearly every year from animal rights groups since the camels endure abuse and many injuries during the event. The festival is even being called a criminal act.
The camels are also paraded through the streets for a “pageant” before the festival. They are not only being abused by wrestling but also exploited for the entertainment of humans. Allegedly, the camels are separated if things get too intense. It is said the camels cannot actually injure each other but, why in the world are camels wrestling? It should not happen at all. The festival organizers excuse the acts by saying it is a tradition and because the event has successfully gone on for years, it should not be stopped. This is not an excuse to put the camels through such abuse for the 40th year in a row.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Mehmet Falakali,
Your support of this inhumane camel wrestling festival is unacceptable. An animal rights activist group has clearly expressed their concerns and yet, no one has spoken to them about the festival. It is wrong and the camels are in extreme danger due to the actions of the people participating in this event. You have the responsibility to listen to the opposition and ultimately keep your animals safe, and we demand you try to understand the perspective of those who oppose the event. Although it is a tradition, that does not mean it is right. Camels are being exploited and used for entertainment and that is unfair, unsafe, and inhumane. You must listen to the people who disagree and see the wrongdoings of the event. Think about the camels and how they do not deserve this abuse year after year.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Becker1999
Beyond SICK.
sick people
Jjj
OMG SERIOUSLY??? PEOPLE SUCK!!! ALL THOSE COUNTRIES DO WEIRD SHIT JUST TO MAKE A BUCK…HEAVEN FORBID YOU GET OFF YOUR LAZY ASSES AND MAKE AN HONEST LIVING WITHOUT EXPLOITING ANIMALS FOR GOD’S SAKE. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE AND NEEDS TO STOP NOW!!!! ANIMALS DON’T DESERVE THIS AT ALL…SHAME ON PEOPLE WHO THINK THIS IS OKAY…NOT OKAY!! PERIOD!! THIS CRUELTY IS BEYOND WRONG.
Amen!!
This is sick. What animals are going to be next that people are going to abuse towards your and be cruel too? It’s like humans are not satisfied with one thing they have to go for bigger thrills they’re just sick. And it has to stop
If the Roman Circus with its bloodshed were to return tomorrow, it would be a sellout. There is something about the human brain that, untamed and unchecked by the letter of the law, reverts to savagery unseen in other species. Civilization means the eradication of “traditional” cruelty, like Camel fights.
Another sick human sport where animals are at stake and put in high anxiety levels to do something totally unnatural to them but it’s entertaining to the humans. Go have your dumb barbeque without the animal abuse! If another human wrestled another human in the street there would be charges and lawsuits galore!! They couldn’t take it!!
Amen!!
CRUELTY IS NOT CULTURE. why do you persist in using this excuse. Has mankind not progressed past barbarity?
I agree 100 percent.
REALLY, WHAT THE HELL WILL YOU PRICKS DO NEXT?? LET YOUR DAM PEOPLE WRESTLE EACH OTHER. I BET THE CAMEL’S SMELL BETTER THOUGH. YOU STILL ARE A DISGUSTING COUNTRY, 3RD WORLD. GET A JOB FOR GOD’S SAKE AND QUIT TREATING ANIMALS HORRIFICALLY!! ONCE A ASSHOLE, ALWAYS A ASSHOLE!! ANYTHING FOR EASY MONEY. THAT’S TURKEY ALL RIGHT. YOU CAN BET I WOULD NEVER SPEND A FUCKING DIME IN YOUR COUNTRY AS I TRAVEL!! BURN IN HELL. SATAN AWAITS ALL OF YOU PRICKS!!
This, and other barbaric “traditions” must be STOPPED EVERYWHERE NOW.
to call Cruelty or associate it to Tradition is a bit much, like Karen McKay said its an excuse for abuse and cruelty which is nothing less than SICK & TWISTED but totally agree that is must be stopped everywhere!! We like what Karen McKay commented: CRUELTY IS NOT CULTURE. why do you persist in using this excuse. Has mankind not progressed past barbarity? WELL SAID!!
Cruelty is NOT ‘culture’… People need to stop using culture as an excuse to do, wear or behave how they want.
When WILL people stop torturing animals?!
I am in favor of reducing the human population. Let’s start with getting rid of animal torturers!
Fighting slaves was a tradition. Stop using the word tradition to excuse the fact that you have not moved on with the world. A country is judged by the way it treats the weakest among them. You are not doing well.
That’s just what they would do, out there in backward 6th Century Turkey. They lie, they kill without remorse, and the only thing they should get from the civilised world is war enough to cause a Year Zero.
Bingo. I’ll never forget the picture of 2 Turk boys with their cowering dog between them- holding his bloody ears. They completely cut them off because he didn’t fight savagely enough.
Leave Animals The FK Alone !!!!
Stop this stupid inhumane Bullshit
What a sad boring life these morons lead that they have to abuse innocent animals for “entertainment”. Maybe they are too cowardly to wrestle another person in case they get hurt. Shame on them and shame on their Government for allowing this to take place. Get yourselves a life and leave the animals alone !
JUST LIKE JUSTIFYING BULL FIGHTING, THIS IS NIT CULTURE OR TRADITION – IT IS ANIMAL CRUELTY. THIS IS UNNECESSARY AND UNACCEPTABLE. THIS NEEDS TO END. THEY COULD HAVE A FESTIVAL WITH FOOD AND MUSIC AND A WALK THROUGH WITH CARMELS WITHOUT THE WRESTLING PART. THERE IS NO NEED FOR ANY ANIMAL TO BE IN A POSITION TO GET HURT, OR TRAUMATIZED.
Why can’t these rubbish people get REAL jobs, to earn REAL money, instead of abusing animals in the pursuit of money and wealth?
Why the fuck would you ever wrestle a camel? They’re scared, are confused, and are just trying to defend themselves. How ridiculous and abjectly inhumane.