Azeez Al-Shaair & the Plague of Islamophobia in America

The devolving reaction to the Texans linebackers hit illustrates how America feels about Muslims and why many Muslims feel like they are cast as the enemy

A collision and a skirmish. Those were the last moments that Azeez Al-Shaair experienced before he was ejected and was subsequently suspended for three games. The play happened with 4 minutes left in the first half in a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Quarterback Trevor Lawerence rolled out of the pocket and started to run. As he was starting to slide Al-Shaair delivered a hit that knocked Lawrence out of the game and ended his season.

In the aftermath, there have been debates about the hit. Tom Brady has said that this injury and others like it are a result of more designed quarterback runs, which leave defenders in a difficult position. Many others have called it a dirty play by Al-Shaair, calling for the Texans to release him and stating that he should not be allowed to play in the NFL.

These sorts of opinions are common in the NFL commentary landscape. But what has also happened is that in his apology to Lawrence, Al-Shaair mentions that he has received both racist and Islamophobic comments and threats because of the hit. There is no question that his hit crossed the line of legality in the NFL.