Usman Khawaja Again Calls for Justice in Palestine

Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja has once again used his platform to bring to light the ongoing violence in Palestine, sharing a powerful social media post centered on the suffering of children and urging the world not to look away.

In a heartfelt message, Khawaja posted a distressing video of wounded Palestinian children, calling for continued global attention on the worsening humanitarian crisis.

“Hard to watch… Imagine living it,” Khawaja wrote. “In real time, we are STILL witnessing these atrocities. UNICEF has called it ‘a graveyard for children’ and kids are still being slaughtered, almost two years on. HUMANS are being starved to death and attacked at first aid points.

I will keep saying it—if this ever becomes normal for us, we are truly lost. Don’t stop speaking up. Always stand for humanity, for equality, for a better tomorrow.”

This is not the first time Usman Khawaja has condemned Israel’s violence in Palestine. He has repeatedly called for an end to the bloodshed both on and off the field. The 38-year-old recently made headlines for refusing an interview with a sports network accused of firing an employee over support for Palestine, standing firm in his beliefs.

Usman Khawaja’s message comes amid growing international calls to end the violence in Gaza, where thousands of civilians—many of them children—have been subjected to inhumane treatment by Israeli forces. The Pakistan-born opener, who is also a practicing Muslim, remains one of the few prominent athletes to speak so consistently and publicly on the issue.

“Now imagine if that happened on the opposite side. The outrage that would occur. All lives aren’t equal. For some reason, these kids will be footnotes or just numbers in history. But they too have names and mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers—just like you. We can’t normalise this type of brutality, although I’m afraid we already have. I can’t believe this is still happening,” Usman Khawaja said in a post.

Usman Khawaja’s stance has not been without resistance. During Australia’s home Test series against Pakistan in late 2023, he attempted a silent protest by inscribing “Freedom is a human right” and “All lives are equal” on his shoes. The ICC ruled that the messages violated its clothing regulations, preventing him from wearing them on the field.

Instead, Usman Khawaja wore a black armband during the first Test to express solidarity, but even that gesture led to an official reprimand from cricket’s governing body for what it termed a “personal message.”

Despite the reprimands, Usman Khawaja has not backed down. His recent statements underscore his commitment to using his voice for causes beyond cricket—calling for justice, equality, and basic human rights.