Sami Zayn has been a darling of internet wrestling fans for a long time now. He’s continuing to gain popularity among wrestling fans in general with his work week in and week out on Raw, in between causing Mick Foley to lose his teeth. But anyone who knows anything Sami Zayn as the person behind the wrestler knows that he is a passionate, earnest person who just wants to do good in this world. And that goes beyond paying tribute to his fallen fellow countrymen.
Most everyone reading this is likely aware, but many wrestling fans might be surprised to learn that Zayn is a Muslim, of Syrian descent. He’s well aware that he doesn’t fit the perception most people have of either of those groups. But he’s doing his part to break those stereotypical preconception, as well as speaking out against the injustices those groups are facing.
When Donald Trump signed an executive order for an immigration ban a couple of weeks ago, Zayn took to Twitter to speak out. And it got wrestling fans talking.
I can't articulate how truly disgusted I am right now. #MuslimBan
— Sami Zayn (@SamiZayn) January 28, 2017
Zayn continued speaking out about the immigration ban and how he views his role for changing perceptions in an ESPN.com interview. As usual, he managed to be passionate and eloquent, and explained clearly how he wants to help how the media represents Muslims and Arabs.
“It’s definitely a sensitive topic to discuss, but I have felt since I signed with the WWE I was in a unique position to reestablish how Arabs were perceived in the WWE and western media. Ever since I was a kid and growing up and watching things like the ‘Naked Gun’ movies, there was always this stereotype about how Arabs were perceived and portrayed. I’ve never watched those Arab villains in the movie and felt like that was me. They were nothing like me, and now I get to just be me — and hopefully being me strikes a chord with a lot of young Arabs and non-Arabs, honestly. We’re really not all that different.
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“I think it’s important for youngsters from all walks of life to have some sort of representative that they can look up to and aspire to be and let them know there’s a chance for anybody from any background,” Sebei said. “That’s the spirit of America, right? Anybody from any background can make it anywhere with enough hard work. I think the more people from all walks of life who speak up and the more diverse success stories we have, the better that is for our youngsters growing up, knowing they can attain those same goals just like anybody else.”
The ESPN article clarified that Zayn is not currently affected by the immigration ban, as he does not have dual citizenship with any of the affected countries. He is a Canadian citizen with a green card and permanent resident status, and he may seek U.S. citizenship at some point in the future, but wants to wait and see how the current political climate is going to continue to develop.
It likely comes as a relief to wrestling fans to know that Zayn’s travel status and his livelihood won’t be harmed by the ban, and perhaps even more heartening that he is continuing to speak out on larger media platforms.
