Texans Linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair Defies NFL Penalties to Honor Slain Palestinian Sisters

The Houston Texans’ linebacker wore eye black with the names of slain sisters Lana, 12, and Bana, eight.

Published On 28 Sep 202628 Sep 2026

Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair again used his platform to commemorate Palestinian children killed in Gaza, taking the field against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday with the names of sisters Lana and Bana Ahmad inscribed on his eye black. The girls, aged 12 and eight, perished alongside their family in an Israeli airstrike earlier this month.

Hours before kickoff, Al-Shaair shared a tribute to the sisters on Instagram, posting a photo of the black tape bearing their names alongside his cleats, which featured the flags of Palestine and Sudan stitched into the design. The gesture continues a pattern of advocacy from the Black American Muslim athlete, who has repeatedly drawn attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza despite mounting league discipline.

On September 13, Al-Shaair honored Hind Rajab, the five-year-old killed when Israeli forces fired on her family’s stranded vehicle in January 2024. The NFL fined him $11,491 for violating uniform and equipment regulations. NBA star Kyrie Irving subsequently offered to cover the penalty, and Al-Shaair confirmed the two had been in contact.

Addressing reporters last week, Al-Shaair dismissed the financial sanction. “It’s bigger to me; what’s a life worth? Is a life worth $11,000? No, I think it’s priceless,” he said.

In his next appearance against the Cincinnati Bengals, Al-Shaair wore the name of eight-year-old Wafa Akila, killed with her father in an Israeli strike in western Gaza. He was also fined in January during the previous season for displaying “Stop The Genocide” on his nose tape — a message widely interpreted as referencing Gaza and Sudan.

Following the Rajab tribute, U.S. media reported that league officials informed Al-Shaair he would be barred from continuing play unless he removed the eye black. The escalation drew sharp criticism from Democratic politician Isaiah Martin, who called the reported threat of removal “insane” in a post on X. “This harms no one by letting him do this,” Martin wrote. “I think it’s absurd they were fining him, but those were the ‘rules’ and he agreed to pay the fine. Removal from the game is INSANE. This shouldn’t stand!”

The conflict has devastated Gaza’s educational infrastructure, leaving 90 percent of schools damaged or destroyed and severely limiting education for the territory’s 660,000 children. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, at least 21,500 children have been killed since October 7, 2023.

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