Belal Muhammad, the UFC’s welterweight champion, is utilizing his platform to make clear the continuing struggling of Palestinians, drawing consideration to the catastrophic affect of the battle. As the primary UFC fighter of Palestinian descent to safe a championship title, Muhammad’s victory in July 2024 at UFC 304 in Manchester, England, was a historic second for his heritage. However for Muhammad, it was a chance to signify Palestine on the worldwide stage.
Voice for Palestine’s Struggling
Born in Chicago to Palestinian immigrant mother and father, Belal Muhammad has lengthy been outspoken in regards to the struggles confronted by the Palestinian folks. Following his win, he devoted his title to his household and to Palestine, stressing the urgency of worldwide consideration to the ache of the Palestinian folks. “It took me the lengthy street, however they did give it to me, proper? So I simply needed to benefit from it. And now, being the champion, now I simply obtained to signify, and I simply obtained to indicate the folks of Palestine, you realize, that they’ve a champion now,” Muhammad stated in a latest interview.
Belal Muhammad Stands for Palestine Amid Disaster
His phrases are a chilly reminder of the continuing violence in Gaza, the place Palestinian civilians, together with kids, are struggling at an alarming price. “It’s loopy how a lot they don’t care about children dying, you realize? These are ladies, kids, males—it doesn’t even matter the place they’re from or what they’re doing,” Muhammad continued. “It’s like we’re displaying you. You’re seeing it each single day on Twitter, on Instagram, on social media.”
Story of Jude
Muhammad shared an emotional story about Jude, a younger boy who now lives along with his household after surviving an assault. The kid was seen in a viral video sporting a Spider-Man shirt, his knee badly injured, as his mom died defending him. “However I’m like, this can be a actual child. Here’s a child now,” Muhammad stated, reflecting on the human toll of the battle. Jude now lives with Belal Muhammad.
The Devastating Influence
The tragedy shouldn’t be restricted to people like Jude. Since October 2023, practically 42,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, with the vast majority of victims being ladies and kids. The ongoing violence has not solely claimed lives but in addition destroyed houses, infrastructure, and livelihoods. The United Nations studies that over 7,000 minors and practically 5,000 ladies have died because of the battle, with kids aged 5-9 struggling probably the most. The disaster has displaced numerous civilians, with many now dwelling in overcrowded situations in a tiny fraction of Gaza’s territory, going through starvation, trauma, and the lack of entry to training.
Belal Muhammad’s victory got here at a time when the Palestinian neighborhood, notably athletes, had been impacted by the violence. Because the battle escalated, studies point out that almost 400 Palestinian athletes have misplaced their lives. Muhammad’s platform has allowed him to attract consideration to the plight of those victims.
For Belal Muhammad, that is s about standing up for what is true and guaranteeing that the world doesn’t flip a blind eye to the continuing ache of Palestine. Muhammad stays steadfast in his mission to make sure that Palestine’s struggling shouldn’t be forgotten.
“[The conflict] actually has nothing to do with faith, it has to do with humanity. Individuals are actually dying and individuals are shedding their houses. You present an image of youngsters dying and I get so many feedback like, ‘What about Hamas?’ Bro, you suppose this 3-year-old child that simply obtained bombed and killed is Hamas? Individuals search for key phrases, set off phrases that can get different trolls that simply remark in your factor to get an increase out of you.”
