Texans Player Azeez Al-Shaair Sports Pro-Palestine ‘Stop The Genocide’ Message During ‘Monday Night Football’ Telecast – Blavity
Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair shared a bold, powerful message during Monday’s AFC Wild Card game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Texans defeated the Steelers 30-6, but fans noticed the words “STOP THE GENOCIDE” displayed across Al-Shaair’s eye black on his face, referencing the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict.
Texans LB Azeez Al-Shaair wrote "stop the genocide" on his eye black. pic.twitter.com/lCo9TuxBwA— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) January 13, 2026
Azeez Al-Shaair shared a pro-Palestine message in late 2024
In late 2024, Al-Shaair, who is a devout Muslim, participated in the NFL’s My Cause, My Cleats campaign. As The Mirror reported, the word “FREE” in Palestinian colors appeared on his cleats, along with the following message: “Surely to Allah we belong and to him we will all return.”
The 28-year-old athlete’s other cleat displayed the reported number of Palestinians killed and injured in the Israel–Gaza conflict. The cleats raised money for Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.
“I feel like it’s something that’s trying to be almost silenced,” Al-Shaair told the Houston Chronicle at the time, according to The Mirror.
“[Other people] try to make a disconnect and dehumanize people over there,” he continued. “And it’s like, they’re human beings. Being a Muslim, we see everybody the same; Black, White, Spanish, whatever you are; you can be orange, like, we’re all human beings.”
Azeez Al-Shaair was born into a Muslim family
A lifelong Muslim, Al-Shaair fasts during Ramadan, a Muslim holy month that requires fasting (participants cannot drink water) from dawn to sunset. The purpose of Ramadan is to get closer to God and to gain empathy for the less fortunate.
Fasting during the day poses extra challenges for the linebacker since football is such a physically demanding sport. Still, he pushes through the hunger.
“It’s really humbling, not being able to eat or drink anything throughout the daytime and still having to live your regular life,” Al-Shaair said back in 2018, per University Press. “It really puts it into perspective, how some people really struggle in real life … gives you a different appreciation.”
Despite their different faiths, Al-Shaair and Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr., who is a Christian, are incredibly close.
“I’m a Christian through and through, but I also think it’s very important to see how other people … think and how they feel about certain things,” Anderson said, TSN reported.
Al-Shaair noted, “I’m open about my faith and I use my faith and the things I’ve experienced in conversations with guys and the same for him. So, every time we talked we were always hitting on the same cylinder, like dang that’s exactly how I feel … so, I feel like it just worked out perfectly.”
The post Texans Player Azeez Al-Shaair Sports Pro-Palestine ‘Stop The Genocide’ Message During ‘Monday Night Football’ Telecast appeared first on Blavity.
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