Kuwaiti runner carries Palestinian flag through nearly 100 races worldwide

• Salem Al-Mutawa, a Kuwaiti runner, has carried one signed flag through nearly 100 races on almost every continent.

Kuwaiti runner Salem Al-Mutawa unfurled a Palestinian flag at the finish line of dozens of races, its fabric covered with signatures from runners he has met around the world. He has carried the flag through nearly 100 races across almost every continent.

The idea for the flag came in 2022, after he noticed that Arab runners crossing finish lines raised their countries' flags but that Palestine's was missing.  So, his Gazan mother gave him a Palestinian flag and told him to take it with him. Over nearly four years and close to 100 races, he has carried it on almost every continent.

Al-Mutawa says people were initially hesitant to sign, but that changed after Oct. 7, 2023.

Waving the Palestinian flag has become a common way for athletes and supporters to show solidarity at major sporting events. The flag's colors were very present in the stands at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the first played in the Arab world. Moroccan, Tunisian and other Arab fans displayed the flag and wore Palestinian shawls, even though Palestine had not qualified for the tournament.

A giant flag was unfurled at Tunisia's match against Australia and returned at later games, and a Tunisian fan carrying the flag ran onto the pitch during the match against France, prompting chants of "Falastin" from the crowd. Players joined in as well: after Morocco beat Spain to reach the quarterfinals, one player waved the flag at fans, another wrapped it around his body, and the whole team posed with it for a photo.

The Moroccan team had also displayed the flag after beating Canada in the group stage.

The practice extends beyond the Arab world. Fans of Scotland's Celtic waved Palestinian flags and released green smoke during their Champions League match against Borussia Dortmund in October 2024.