Muslim Group CAIR Upset Al-Shaair Got Fined, Calls On NFL To Focus On Jewish Patriots Owner Robert Kraft

The Houston chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Houston) on Sunday "condemned" the NFL's decision to fine Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair for wearing a "Stop The Genocide" message during a Wild Card game, and called on the league to apologize and instead focus on New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who is Jewish.

CAIR also called on the NFL to in future approve the display of the phrase "Stop The Genocide" by players, saying the league "permits the display of symbols from Robert Kraft's Stand Up to Jewish Hate campaign."

Anaheim, CA - July 01: A sign at the Anaheim CAIR office sits on a shelf during a press conference on Tuesday, July 1, 2025. Lawsuits against Orange County, Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes, and Orange County Sheriff Department deputies were announced regarding the forcible removal of two women's hijabs during student protests at UC Irvine last year. (Photo by Mindy Schauer/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images)

CAIR Focuses On Blue Square Alliance

CAIR is trying to put the focus on Kraft's Blue Square Alliance Against Hate and draw an equivalence between that organization's efforts and Al-Shaair inscribing "Stop The Genocide" on his eyeblack during a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

"If the NFL singled out Azeez Al-Shaair for punishment because of his anti-genocide message amid a backlash from the Israeli government's enablers, then the NFL should apologize and reverse the fine," CAIR-Houston Director of Operations Imran Ghani said in a statement released to OutKick. 

"The NFL apparently has no problem with coaches wearing pins from Robert Kraft's ‘Stand Up to Jewish Hate’ campaign, and it should have no problem with an NFL player opposing genocide, whether the genocide is in Gaza or Sudan or elsewhere. It should approve the use of the slogan 'Stop the Genocide' going forward."

FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 13: Owner Robert Kraft (R) poses for a photograph with Mike Vrabel as Vrabel is announced as head coach of the New England Patriots during a press conference at Gillette Stadium on January 13, 2025 in Foxborough, Massachusetts.  (Photo by Billie Weiss/Getty Images)

Did Vrabel Violate NFL Rule?

It should be noted that Patriots coach Mike Vrabel has indeed worn the Blue Square Alliances logo pin on his lapel. Jerod Mayo, who coached the Patriots in 2024, also wore the pin in games and at press conferences.

But neither coach has been fined and the pin does not include any written messages on it.

Rule 5, Section 4, Article 8 nonetheless states: "Players are prohibited from wearing, displaying, or otherwise conveying personal messages either in writing or illustration, unless such message has been approved in advance by the League office."

CAIR-Houston has been predictably supportive of Al-Shaair, who is Muslim.

And part of that support has the organization accusing the NFL of bowing to "pro-Israel extremists."

Wilfredo Ruiz, communications director for CAIR-Florida, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, speaks during a press conference held by Jewish Voice for Peace about a lawsuit they're bringing against the city of Miami Beach over a law restricting protests on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025, in Miami Beach, Florida. (Alie Skowronski/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

CAIR Continues Al-Shaair Support

"We again applaud Houston Texans player Azeez Al-Shaair for using his platform to call for an end to genocide anywhere and everywhere, and we strongly object to the NFL's reported decision to fine him for doing so amid pressure from pro-Israel extremists," Ghani said.

"If NFL policies truly do require a fine for a player who makes a statement as generic as 'Stop the Genocide,' then the NFL needs to revise its policies.

"Azeez Al-Shaair’s message was rooted in basic human decency and concern for innocent lives. That should not be controversial, much less subject to a fine."