Sami Zayn showing his support for Palestine. The Xavierite
Though every World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) ‘Superstar’ shares the common goal of someday winning the WWE Championship and reaching the Hall of Fame, for Sami Zayn, his motivation goes beyond the ring. Zayn’s ultimate goal is to be a positive representation for the Muslim community.
Zayn’s career has spanned over 22 years in which he’s wrestled in over 30 countries. He was born and raised in Montreal Quebec, Canada, as the son of Syrian immigrants. Zayn, whose birth name is Rami Sebei, was raised under Muslim faith and is a fluent Arabic speaker.
In the past, Muslim representation in the WWE had been distasteful. Middle eastern portrayals were stereotypical and/or villainous depictions of Muslims, such as Muhammad Hassan’s terrorist gimmick. Gimmicks such as the Hassan character were very damaging for the perception of Muslims as tensions against the community were already high after the 9/11 attacks.
Upon joining the WWE in 2013, Zayn was determined to avoid any negative portrayals of Muslims in his character. His goal is to break the stereotypes that have plagued Muslims in pro-wrestling, and proudly display his culture by having Arabic lettering on his wrestling gear.
For over a decade, Zayn has made a name for himself in WWE as ‘the underdog from the underground,’ becoming a fan favorite due to his resilient attitude. His accomplishments include winning the Intercontinental, Tag-Team, and ‘NXT’ Championship titles.
Zayn is one of the most respected professional wrestlers by fans and his peers for his work in the ring. However his passion for community outreach and speaking out against injustices in the muslim community is what has garnered adulation from fans
In 2017, Zayn launched ‘Sami For Syria’, a campaign in collaboration with the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) Foundation to provide medical care to displaced residents in northwest Syria. As of this writing, the campaign has raised $211,218 of its $250,000 goal. With these donations, the campaign has been able to bring mobile medical clinics to Syria, which provide free consultations and medical aid to civilians.
In addition to his philanthropy, Zayn hasn’t shied away from using his platform to speak out against social issues. Zayn has been outspoken about his support for Palestiniane in the mass genocide being committed by Israel, even prior to October 7, 2023.
In a now deleted X exchange with politician Andrew Yang from May 11, 2021, Zayn responded to a tweet in which Yang publicly stated his support for Israel, saying, “The people of NYC will always stand with our brothers and sisters in Israel who face down terrorism and persevere.”
Zayn responded saying, “Maybe not the most tasteful statement to make within hours of Israel bombing Gaza and killing 20 Palestinians, 9 of whom were children. But then again I’m not a soulless piece of s**t politician so what do I know?”
This isn’t the only instance in which Zayn has tweeted in support of Palestine, despite facing backlash from Israeli media who’ve called for him to be reprimanded.
Some things are bigger than pro-wrestling, and during his rivalry with the Judgement Day back in October 30, Zayn took the opportunity to make a subliminal statement about the issue.
In a very passionate in-ring promo, Zayn stated, “My entire career, my entire life, I have fought people like the Judgement Day. People that think that all that matters is power, and as long as you’re chasing power, you can do whatever you want, you can be as ruthless as you want, as cutthroat as you want, you can rule with an iron fist. You can oppress whoever, whenever, as long as it’s in the name of power.”
He continued, saying, “If that’s the name of your game, fine. But understand that if that’s your game, my name is not Sami Zayn… My name is REBELLION! My name is RESISTANCE! – As long as there is a breath of air in my body, I WILL FIGHT!”
Though Zayn was in-character, social media instantly caught on to the fact that this was not a simple wrestling promo. As a muslim, Zayn was speaking out against the brutal tactics Israel has used in the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians for almost a century.
This is indicative of Zayn’s humanitarian efforts. Actions speak louder than words and Zayn has never been afraid to speak on issues that most stay silent about. Through his platform, Zayn has helped shatter stereotypes and used his influence to help serve his community.
In an industry where fans are constantly finding out that the wrestlers they grew up watching and idolizing are not the heroes they portray on television, it is quite refreshing to have someone like Zayn whose actions inside and outside of the ring are indicative of his character.
As he is fighting tooth and nail at the moment to earn a spot in this year’s ‘WrestleMania’, Zayn continues to show resilience and be a symbol of hope for fans to never stop fighting for what they believe in.