Usman Khawaja vows to fight as ICC bans pro-Palestine shoe

Australian Community Media

Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja says he will fight the ICC’s ruling that stops him from wearing shoes with messages of support for Palestine amid the war in Gaza.

Transcript

00:00 I won't say much, I don't need to.

00:03 But what I do want is for everyone who did get offended, somehow, is to ask yourself

00:08 these questions.

00:11 Is freedom not for everyone?

00:14 Are all lives not equal?

00:17 To me personally, it doesn't matter what race, religion or culture you are.

00:22 But let's be honest about it.

00:24 If me saying "all lives are equal" has resulted in people being offended to the point

00:29 where they're calling me up and telling me off, well isn't that the bigger problem?

00:36 These people obviously don't believe in what I've written.

00:38 And it's not just a handful of people, you'd be shocked about how many feel this way.

00:49 What I've written on my shoes isn't political.

00:53 I'm not taking sides.

00:55 Human life to me is equal.

00:58 One Jewish life is equal to one Muslim life is equal to one Hindu life and so on.

01:06 I'm just speaking up for those who don't have a voice.

01:12 This is close to my heart.

01:14 When I see thousands of innocent children dying without any repercussions or remorse,

01:22 I imagine my two girls.

01:26 What if this was them?

01:29 No one chooses where they're born.

01:33 And then I see the world turn their backs on them.

01:36 My heart can't take it.

01:38 I already feel my life wasn't equal to others when I was growing up.

01:43 But luckily for me, I never lived in a world where that lack of inequality was life or

01:50 death.

01:56 The ICC have told me that I can't wear my shoes on field because they believe it's

02:00 a political statement under their guidelines.

02:04 I don't believe it is so.

02:06 It's a humanitarian appeal.

02:09 I will respect their view and decision, but I will fight it and seek to gain approval.

02:17 Freedom is a human right.

02:19 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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