Sir: Camel racing is a popular sport in the Middle East, as well as some other regions. Professional camel racing, like horse racing, is an event for gambling and attracting tourists.
Children are preferred as jockeys because of their light weight. It has been reported that thousands of children between the ages of two and eight are trafficked from impoverished countries like Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Pakistan, India and Sudan so they can be used as camel jockeys.
According to estimates, there are 5,000 to 40,000 camel jockeys in the UAE. Here we must mention Pakistani lawyer and rights activist Ansar Burney, who has done a splendid job by struggling for legislation against this criminal activity.
The UAE was the first to ban the use of children under 15 as jockeys in camel racing. Sheikh Hamdan Al Kahyan announced the ban on July 29, 2002. In 2009, the UAE paid compensation to 879 former jockeys. The UAE now issues penalties for use of children as jockeys, including jail time. In Qatar, the country’s Emir Hamad Al Thani banned child jockeys in 2005. It was directed that by 2007, all camel races would use robot jockeys.
MOHAMMAD AHMER
Lodhran
Published in Daily Times, May 22nd2018.
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