Azeez Al-Shaair honors Wafaa Akila by writing her name across his eye-black strips.
After Hind Rajab, Azeez Al-Shaair honors Wafaa Akila
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- Al-Shaair has consistently used uniform equipment to highlight civilian suffering in Gaza despite strict league uniform policies.
- The tribute follows an $11,941 fine for honoring five-year-old Hind Rajab, as well as prior fines for writing "Stop the Genocide" during the playoffs.
Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair paid a touching visual tribute to Wafaa Akila, an 8-year-old Palestinian girl killed alongside her father in an airstrike, by writing her name across his eye-black strips during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Wafaa and her father, Yousef, were killed on September 6, 2026, when an airstrike targeted their vehicle while driving to purchase school supplies following her first day of school.
As he met with children and families on the field, Al-Shaair displayed "Wafaa Akila" written on the black strips under his eyes, using his public platform to ensure her story was remembered.
Al-Shaair, a longtime advocate for Palestinian rights, has repeatedly turned his game-day gear into a form of peaceful protest to draw attention to human suffering in Gaza.
Previous fines for Hind Rajab, "Stop the genocide"
Al-Shaair's latest tribute comes just days after the NFL fined him $11,941 for violating the league's uniform policy during Houston's Week 1 game against the Buffalo Bills.
In that game, Al-Shaair wrote "Hind Rajab" on his eye-black strips to honor the five-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed alongside six family members in Gaza in 2024.
During the Houston Texans' wild-card playoff win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in January, the league fined Al-Shaair $11,593 after he wore eye black bearing the words "Stop the Genocide" during a nationally televised postgame interview.
He displayed the same "Stop the Genocide" message during pregame warmups the following week in the divisional round against the New England Patriots, but removed it before kickoff after game officials warned him that continuing to wear the message would result in his immediate ejection from play.
Despite facing thousands of dollars in cumulative fines, the Pro Bowl linebacker has continued to utilize his eye black on the field to amplify the names of individual victims and advocate for civilians affected by the conflict.
