Rami Elite, Rami Ibrahim

Rami Ibrahim ahead of USKA -“Fighting for two countries”

Every now and then again we come across professional athletes that decide to take a personal stance on certain social issues. We’ve seen football players kneel during the national anthem, we’ve seen basketball players wearing controversial warm-up shirts. As a result of the attention that follows, we as fans are forced to ask ourselves where we stand, and whether we want these actions from athletes.

Rami Ibrahim, dubbed the ‘Son of Palestine’, can certainly relate to being on the short end of social hot buttons. After all, he has witnessed and lived through hiccups in his career based on his religion. He has even been attacked after a fight based on his religion. So what can he do when he sees the events happening halfway across the world in Syria? He can fight. Not just in the ring, but also outside of it.

To those who might not have been following, President Trump announced plans late last year of a U.S. Embassy move to Jerusalem shortly after plans to announce the holy city as the capital of Israel. An idea Ibrahim was not too fond of.

“How can that be okay?,” Ibrahim asked.

“When Donald Trump did that, what that’s doing is basically giving all true rights over the holiest city in the world. For many years, many United States presidents have been asked to do this. To say that capital of Jerusalem will be for Israel, they all declined,” Ibrahim continued.

The ten-time World Champion Muay Thai kickboxer is set to return to the ring April 28 to fight in front of a home crowd in Philadelphia. It has been several years since the Philly native has been able to fight in front of his hometown fans. When he steps into that ring again, Ibrahim will, “fight for two countries.” But he has a thought to leave with everyone after this highlight fight.

“My roots is Palestinian, but my soil is American.”

LISTEN TO RAMI IBRAHIM BELOW:

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Ryan Sprague