NFL Player Azeez Al-Shaair Continues to Honor Palestinian Children, Now for Fifth Consecutive Week

Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair has dedicated his recent NFL game to honoring a Palestinian child for the fifth week in a row. For the Houston Texans' fixture against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium in London, United Kingdom, on Sunday, Al-Shaair wrote the name of Maryam Ghanem on his eyeblack. Ghanem is a two-and-a-half-year-old girl in Gaza who was orphaned last week after an Israeli strike hit her home in the Remal neighbourhood of Gaza City. Local journalists reportedly rescued Ghanem after hearing her cries amidst the flames that engulfed her family's apartment building. She is the sole survivor of her family and was taken to a hospital for treatment, where she was heard saying, "My hand hurts," while clutching her doll. Maryam lost her father earlier in the conflict and now her mother as well, amidst ongoing Israeli air strikes in Gaza.

Al-Shaair, a 29-year-old Black American Muslim player, has been using his social media and his eyeblack to draw attention to the plight of Palestinians during the ongoing conflict. Despite facing fines and potential removal from games, he remains committed to his cause. His current NFL season began with him wearing the name of Hind Rajab, a five-year-old girl killed in Gaza, on September 13. The NFL previously fined Al-Shaair $11,491 for violating the league's code of conduct regarding player apparel and equipment during a game against the Buffalo Bills. Basketball player Kyrie Irving offered to pay the fine, and Al-Shaair later confirmed he had been in contact with the NBA star. Al-Shaair has stated that the cause is "bigger" than any fine, emphasizing that a life is