Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair was put underneath the microscope on Sunday as his second-quarter hit on Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence knocked the participant out of the sport.
Lawrence was making an attempt to slip when Al-Shaair hit the Jaguars star within the head and neck space. The hit sparked a brawl and led to the ejections of Al-Shaair and Jaguars cornerback Jarrian Jones. Al-Shaair was within the midst of a brawl that occurred after the play.
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Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair reacts after being ejected in opposition to the Jaguars at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, Dec. 1, 2024. (Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Photographs)
The Jaguars dominated Lawrence out for the remainder of the sport as he was identified with a concussion.
The hit wasn’t the one factor Al-Shaair was criticized for.
The linebacker took half within the NFL’s My Trigger My Cleats marketing campaign. Gamers who partake within the marketing campaign are allowed to choose a trigger that’s necessary to them and signify the group on their cleats. Al-Shaair selected the Palestine Youngsters’s Reduction Fund – as he did final 12 months.
Al-Shaair had “Free” written on one aspect of his footwear within the colours of the Palestinian flag. On one shoe, “Absolutely to Allah we belong and to him we are going to all return,” was written. On the aspect of his different shoe, it had the variety of Palestinians reportedly killed and wounded in its struggle with Israel.
“Palestine Youngsters’s Reduction Fund (PCRF), based in 1991 by involved humanitarians within the USA, gives free medical care to 1000’s of injured and in poor health youngsters yearly who lack native entry to care throughout the native well being care system,” the PCRF’s description mentioned on its web site.
“Over time, we have despatched over 2,000 affected youngsters overseas without spending a dime medical care, despatched 1000’s of worldwide medical doctors and nurses to offer tens of 1000’s of youngsters free medical care in native hospitals, and supplied tens of 1000’s of youngsters humanitarian help and assist they in any other case wouldn’t get.”
A ton of scrutiny poured in on social media.
Al-Shaair talked about his choice to put on the cleats final month.
“I really feel prefer it’s one thing that is making an attempt to be nearly silenced,” he instructed the Houston Chronicle. “On both aspect, folks shedding their life is just not proper. By no means, form or kind am I validating something that occurred, however to persistently say that due to [Oct. 7] harmless folks [in Gaza] ought to now die, it is loopy.
Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence leaves the sector on a cart after getting injured on a late hit by Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Jacksonville. (AP Photograph/John Raoux)
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[Other people] attempt to make a disconnect and dehumanize folks over there. And it is like, they’re human beings. Being a Muslim, we see all people the identical; Black, White, Spanish, no matter you’re; you will be orange, like, we’re all human beings.”
Al-Shaair can be part of the Athletes For Ceasefire group, together with a number of different athletes.
The group has known as on President Biden to name for “an instantaneous cease-fire” within the struggle in Gaza following Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist assaults on Israel.
“We name on President Joe Biden to name for an instantaneous cease-fire. And to redirect these sources to deal with urgent home wants equivalent to training, well being care and serving to the unhoused,” the group said on its web site.
Gamers battle after Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair’s late hit on Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Jacksonville. (AP Photograph/John Raoux)
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“We’re unable to show a blind eye to the devastation being inflicted on civilians, particularly youngsters, within the Gaza Strip, by means of bombing campaigns funded partly by the U.S.”
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