Kyrie Irving offers to pay Azeez Al-Shaair's fine for tribute to Palestinian girl killed in Gaza
The Mavericks All-Star guard and Texans Pro Bowl linebacker have both been outspoken advocates for Palestine
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Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair was fined $11,941 by the NFL for for wearing eye black that featured the name Hind Rajab, a five-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed by the Israel Defense Forces in Gaza in 2024. NBA star Kyrie Irving tweeted this week that he would pay the fine for Al-Shaair.
Al-Shaair's fine was for a violation of the NFL uniform and equipment rules, which do not allow for the display of a personal message without prior approval. He was also fined last season for wearing eye black that displayed the message "stop the genocide" during a playoff game.
Al-Shaair, who is Muslim, has been an outspoken advocate for Palestinians, wearing cleats that support Palestinian causes through the NFL's "My Clause, My Cleats" program over the last few seasons. Irving, a nine-time All-Star who plays for the Dallas Mavericks, has also been an advocate for Palestine.
"If my platform can bring even a little hope to families in Palestine, then that is what I want to use it for," Al-Shaair said last year.
Hind Rajab was killed along with six members of her family by Israeli forces in Gaza City in 2024. Last month, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) acknowledged the killing of Rajab and her family and said it had opened an internal investigation into the incident, which occurred when the military opened fire on the vehicle they were in.
Al-Shaair, now in his eighth NFL season, was a Pro Bowler last year. He had eight tackles in the Texans' Week 1 loss to the Bills
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