
American football player Azeez Al-Shaair of the Houston Texans was fined $11,941 by the NFL for writing the name of Hind Rajab, a five-year-old Palestinian girl killed in Gaza in 2024, on his eye black during a game against the Buffalo Bills, violating the ban on personal messages on game days.
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Azeez Al-Shaair, a Muslim player for the Houston Texans, had already been sanctioned the previous season for a 'Stop The Genocide' message on his equipment, showing his repeated commitment to the situation in Gaza.
American football player Azeez Al-Shaair was fined almost $12,000 (around 10,500 euros) for writing on his face the name of Hind Rajab, the five-year-old Palestinian killed by Israeli forces in Gaza in 2024, an NFL spokesperson announced on Wednesday.
Last weekend, the Houston Texans linebacker wore the girl's name on his "eye black" - a sticker or paint that players frequently use to reduce glare - during the game against the Buffalo Bills.
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The North American Football League (NFL) prohibits personal messages of any kind, including political messages, on game days. An NFL spokesperson confirmed to AFP that Al-Shaair was fined $11,941 for the offense.
Already condemned last season
The 29-year-old, a Florida native and practicing Muslim, has often spoken out about Gaza. He was already fined last season for a message proclaiming “Stop The Genocide”. Dallas Mavericks NBA star Kyrie Irving lent his support to Al-Shaair on social media, offering to personally pay the fine.
Hind Rajab's body was found in a bullet-riddled car in Gaza, several days after the girl was last heard from during a long, desperate phone call with the Palestinian Red Crescent on January 29, 2024. The original recordings of the girl's call to emergency services were used in the film "The Voice of Hind Rajab" (2025), which won numerous international awards.
The circumstances of his death sparked international outrage and calls for an independent investigation. The Israeli army admitted last August to having opened fire on the car where the girl was traveling, announcing the opening of a criminal investigation.
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
NFL May Revise Its Policy Banning Personal Messages After Growing Public Pressure
Possible · Within months

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