Elham Asaad Buaras
Basketball star Kyrie Irving has offered to pay the $11,941 (£8,944) fine imposed on American football player Azeez Al-Shaair after he wore the name of five-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab beneath his eyes during a match for the Houston Texans.
“I’ll take care of his fine,” Irving wrote on social media on 16 September after news of the penalty emerged.
Al-Shaair wore “Hind Rajab” on the black strips beneath his eyes during Houston’s match against the Buffalo Bills on 13 September.
Rajab was five when she was killed in Gaza in January 2024. She had been travelling with members of her family in Gaza City when their car came under fire. Several of her relatives were killed, while Rajab survived initially and was able to speak to emergency workers by telephone as they tried to reach her. Her death and the circumstances surrounding the failed rescue attempt attracted international attention.
Her name has since become associated with the civilian toll of the war in Gaza. She has also been commemorated in cultural works, including American rapper Macklemore’s song Hind’s Hall.
The National Football League (NFL), the United States’ professional American football league, subsequently fined Al-Shaair for displaying the name during the match. The league’s rules restrict players from displaying unauthorised personal messages on their clothing and equipment.
The fine was not the first time Al-Shaair had been disciplined for a message concerning Palestinians. Earlier this year, he was fined $11,593 after displaying the words “Stop the Genocide” beneath his eyes during an NFL play-off match.
Al-Shaair has previously used his position as a professional athlete to support Palestinian causes. In December 2023, while playing for the Tennessee Titans, he took part in the NFL’s My Cause My Cleats initiative in support of the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, a charity providing medical assistance to children.
He has also spoken publicly about the impact of the war on civilians.
“On either side, people losing their life is not right,” Al-Shaair said in 2024.
His support for Palestinians has continued despite the penalties imposed by the NFL.
Irving has likewise expressed support for Palestinians on several occasions.
In 2023, he wore a Palestinian keffiyeh during a post-match news conference. The traditional chequered scarf is widely associated with Palestinian identity and has become a symbol of Palestinian solidarity.
He was also seen wearing a necklace featuring the Palestinian flag during an interview in 2024.
In February, Irving wore a shirt bearing the word “PRESS” during the NBA All-Star Game in honour of journalists killed while reporting from Gaza. In April, he changed his Instagram profile picture to an image of a Palestinian child facing Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank.
The offer to pay Al-Shaair’s fine is the latest public expression of Irving’s support for Palestinians.
It is not clear whether the fine has been paid. Irving’s post was an offer to cover the penalty rather than confirmation that payment had been made.
The episode comes as professional sports leagues in the United States continue to enforce rules governing what players can display during matches, while athletes use their public platforms to draw attention to political and humanitarian issues.
