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NFL’s Azeez Al-Shaair pays tribute to slain Palestinian girl Wafaa Akila

NFL’s Azeez Al-Shaair pays tribute to slain Palestinian girl Wafaa Akila

Summary

Azeez Al-Shaair, a linebacker for the Houston Texans, continues to raise awareness about Palestinian children killed in conflicts by wearing eye black with their names during NFL games. After being fined nearly $12,000 for a previous message, basketball player Kyrie Irving offered to pay his fine, and Al-Shaair recently honored Wafaa Akila, an eight-year-old girl killed in Gaza.

Key Facts

  • Azeez Al-Shaair wore eye black with the name of Wafaa Akila, a Palestinian girl killed by Israeli forces, during a Houston Texans NFL game.
  • He was fined $11,941 by the NFL for a previous game where he displayed the name of another Palestinian child, Hind Rajab.
  • Kyrie Irving, a nine-time NBA All-Star, offered to pay Al-Shaair’s NFL fine to support his message.
  • Wafaa Akila was killed by an Israeli drone strike in Gaza on her first day of school in September 2023.
  • The conflict in Gaza has severely damaged schools, affecting over 660,000 children’s education.
  • Al-Shaair has previously used messages like “Stop The Genocide” on his nose tape, for which he was also fined.
  • The Palestinian Ministry of Health states that over 21,500 children have been killed since October 2023 in the conflict.
  • Al-Shaair, who is a Muslim and Black American, has received support from community leaders and fans for his activism.
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