The Texas chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today commended Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair as an “athlete of conscience walking in the footsteps of Muhammad Ali” after he met with injured children from Gaza before the start of an NFL game and used face paint to highlight Wafaa Akila, an 8-year-old murdered by the Israeli military in Gaza on her first day of school.
Al-Shaair previously displayed the name of Hind Rajab, a Palestinian girl murdered by the Israeli military along with several of her relatives and paramedics who attempted to rescue her, during an NFL game this week.
The NFL has reportedly fined the player over $11,000 for allegedly violating a league rule forbidding unapproved messages. The league fined him earlier this year for wearing the message “Stop Genocide,” which the Israeli government’s supporters recognized as a reference to Israel’s conduct even though his message did not mention Israel.
SEE:Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair punished by NFL for pro-Palestine gesture
SEE:Texans star makes political statement with this move on ‘Monday Night Football’
Al-Shaair picked the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund for the My Cause My Cleats fundraiser and has also met with Gaza families who were receiving treatment in Houston.
In a statement, CAIR-Houston Director of Operations Imran Ghani said:
“Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair is an athlete of conscience walking in the footsteps of Muhammad Ali and other sports heroes who used their platforms to advocate for justice. We commend him for highlighting Wafaa Akila, one of the latest children murdered by the Israeli military, and meeting with children injured during the Gaza genocide.
“We reiterate our call on the National Football League to stop fining Mr. Al-Shaair, especially since it allows coaches to wear pins developed for genocide supporter Robert Kraft’s “Stand Up to Jewish Hate” campaign. The NFL should have no problem with an NFL player mentioning the name of young girls killed in that genocide.”
END
CONTACT: CAIR-Houston Director of Operations Imran Ghani, [email protected], 713.922.5270; CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, [email protected]; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, [email protected]