American football player Azeez Al-Shaair, who was fined by the National Football League for sticking an anti-genocide message on his nose tape, is the subject of a petition raising money for charitable causes in his honor.
People in the community wanted to change the $11, 593 penalty against the Houston Texans’ linebacker into something positive, according to Nimrah Riaz, founder of Siraat Strategies, a sports consulting firm geared toward Muslims.
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In a pre-game TV interview last week, Al-Shaair wore nose tape with the phrase “Stop the Genocide” without making any specific reference to a particular conflict. However, it was widely believed that the atrocities in Gaza and Sudan were the subject of the message.
Instead of having that moment end in punishment, the community chose to redirect it, Riaz said, “to allow us to all collectively raise funds for Palestine and Sudan for those who actually need it,” Riaz said.
Husain Abdullah, a former NFL player, made a $11 593 donation to the Human Development Fund (HDF) as a result of the fine. The same amount will also be donated to HDF in a separate, ongoing fundraiser by Riaz on Launchgood.
Al-Shaair’s note, which is vague, was reported by ESPN as saying the league had fined the player for breaking its uniform rules.
In an effort to completely or partially destroy the Palestinian people, international leaders and UN investigators have accused Israel of carrying out a genocide in Gaza.
a vigilance to anti-genocide propaganda
On Sunday, Al-Shaair was seen watching a different game against the New England Patriots, but he did not wear the note during game time.
The player later claimed that if he kept the message, he would face punishment for keeping it.
The linebacker claimed he understood the game’s warning to not display the message during the game but accepted the fine.
Al-Shaair argued that other players’ non-sporting statements were the only ones that led to financial penalties.
That was a fine, I knew. He said to the reporters in the dressing room, “I fully understood what I was doing.” However, I was informed that I would be kicked out of the game if I did that during the game. So, I believe that was the area that caused me to be confused.
It is not clear who issued the warning to Al-Shaair. The Houston Texans team did not respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment by the time of publication.
While most professional sport leagues in the world attempt to present themselves as politically neutral, critics say athletes who speak out for Palestinian rights in the US and the West are especially scorned and punished.
In 2023, the NFL teams held pre-game moments of silence in honour of Israelis killed during Hamas’s October 7 attack – a gesture that ignored the suffering in Gaza as the Palestinian death toll from the horrific Israeli response was mounting.
Some teams also released individual statements in support of Israel at that time.
Several NFL team owners are outspoken supporters of Israel – most notably the New England Patriots ‘ Robert Kraft, a major donor for pro-Israel groups, including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
The NFL emerged as a flashpoint in 2016 after San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick kneeled during the US national anthem to protest racism and police brutality in the US.
Critics of the move accused Kaepernick of disrespecting national symbols and called on the league to intervene. But the player’s supporters praised him for his willingness to stand up to injustice despite potential repercussions for his career.
Kaepernick was not signed by any team after he became a free agent at the end of that season.
With Kaepernick out, other players continued his kneeling protest.
In 2018, the NFL issued a policy requiring players to stand during the anthem or stay in the locker room after mounting criticism and calls for a boycott by President Donald Trump and his allies.
‘ Unspoken expectation ‘
The NFL does allow limited advocacy through the “My Cause My Cleats” campaign – an initiative that lets players display messages on their boots.
Al-Shaair has used the programme to raise donations for the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF) with shoes featuring the word “free” and data about the atrocities in Gaza.
But his recent nose tape message has elevated his activism at a time when Palestinians in Gaza continue to suffer from near-daily , Israeli attacks in the bitter cold amid a lack of shelters despite the Trump-brokered “ceasefire”.
Riaz said Muslim athletes face “heightened consequences” for speaking out for Palestine, so there is an “unspoken expectation” for them to remain silent on the issue.
She added that Muslim Americans in Texas and beyond are responding positively to Al-Shaair’s message and trying to reach out to him for speaking engagements. “The community is loving it”, Riaz told Al Jazeera.
Earlier this week, the Houston chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) said the NFL should not fine a player for rejecting genocide.
The message of “Azeez Al-Shaair” was rooted in fundamental human respect and concern for the safety of all. Imran Ghani, CAIR-Houston director of operations, said in a statement that that should not be contentious or even subject to a fine.
Many pro-Israel supporters were offended by Al-Shaair’s note, with some calling for his punishment and suspension.
Source: Aljazeera
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