Houston Texans Linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair came under scrutiny Sunday when his second-quarter hit on Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence knocked the player out of the game.
Lawrence tried to slide when Al-Shair hit the Jaguars star in the head and neck area. The hit sparked a brawl and led to the ejection of Al-Shaair and Jaguars cornerback Jarrian Jones. Al-Shaair was in the middle of a brawl that took place after the play.
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Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair reacts after being ejected against the Jaguars at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, December 1, 2024. (Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)
The Jaguars ruled Lawrence out for the remainder of the match as he was diagnosed with a concussion.
The hit was not the only thing Al-Shaair was criticized for.
The linebacker took part in the NFL’s My Cause My Cleats campaign. Players participating in the campaign can choose a charity that is important to them and represent the organization on their shoes. Just like last year, Al-Shaair chose the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.
Al-Shaair had “Free” written on one side of his shoes in the colors of the Palestinian flag. On one shoe was written: “Surely to Allah we belong and to Him we will all return.” On the side of his other shoe was the number of Palestinians reportedly killed and injured in the war with Israel.
“Founded in 1991 by concerned humanitarians in the U.S., Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF) provides free medical care annually to thousands of injured and sick children who do not have local access to care within the local health care system,” the PCRF description reads. his website.
“Over the years, we have sent more than 2,000 affected children abroad for free medical care, sent thousands of international doctors and nurses to provide tens of thousands of children with free medical care in local hospitals, and provided tens of thousands of children with humanitarian aid and relief. support that they would not otherwise receive.”
A lot of criticism poured in on social media.
Al-Shaair talked about his decision to wear the shoes last month.
“I feel like it’s something that’s almost trying to be silenced,” he told the newspaper Houston Chronicle. “It is not right on both sides for people to lose their lives. In no way am I validating anything that happened, but to consistently say that because of (October 7) innocent people (in Gaza) have to die now, it’s crazy.
Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence leaves the field on a cart after being injured on a late hit by Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Jacksonville. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
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(Other people) try to disconnect and dehumanize people there. And it’s like they’re human beings. As a Muslim we see everyone the same; Black, white, Hispanic, whatever you are; you can be orange, like we’re all human.”
Al-Shaair is also part of the Athletes For Ceasefire organization, along with several other athletes.
The group has urged President Biden to call for “an immediate ceasefire” in the war in Gaza following Hamas’s October 7 terrorist attacks on Israel.
“We call on President Joe Biden to call for an immediate ceasefire. And to redirect those resources to address urgent domestic needs, such as education, health care and helping the unhoused,” the group said on its website.
Players fight after Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair’s late hit on Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Jacksonville. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
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“We cannot close our eyes to the devastation inflicted on civilians, especially children, in the Gaza Strip by bombings partly financed by the US.”
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