Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair removed an inscription honoring a Palestinian girl after an NFL official told him he would not be allowed to remain in the game unless he took it off, according to a report cited by Fox News.
Al-Shaair had worn the name Wafaa Akila on his eyeblack during warmups before Houston’s Week 2 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals. The marking was still visible after the game began, when a league official noticed it and notified the player and the Texans of the consequence.
He removed the eyeblack and played the remainder of the game without it. The action came one week after the NFL fined him $11,492 for writing the name Hind Rajab on his face. The source said Al-Shaair used the marking to draw attention to the Palestinian girl’s death during a bombing in Gaza by the Israeli Defense Force.
Al-Shaair did not appeal the earlier fine. In comments to reporters, he said, “What’s a life worth? Is a life worth $11,000? I think it’s priceless. So, to sit there and say that, ‘Oh man, the money’ and whatever, that wasn’t relevant to me.”
The NFL’s rules prohibit players from displaying personal messages during game days. The source also cited previous cases involving players who were told to remove personalized headwear or footwear or risk being taken out of games. Al-Shaair was fined $11,593 in January after writing “Stop the Genocide” on his eyeblack, while Arizona Cardinals defensive back Kei'Trel Clark was fined last week for a religious message.
