Sami Zayn challenging Muslim wrestler stereotypes and Trump ban

Rami Sebei better known as WWE superstar Sami Zayn, spoke out against President Trump’s Muslim ban in the United States due to the injustice being served to these countries. Sami Zayn is tearing the stereotypes of Muslim Wrestlers by competing at the highest level.

Zayn, a Syrian Muslim born in Quebec, Canada, is a professional wrestler for the WWE. In the past the WWE portrayed Muslim wrestlers as the United States vs them. For example the Iron Sheik or Muhammed Hassan were characters that were looked upon as villains against American wrestlers. Sami Zayn is changing the perception of Muslim wrestlers as he is looked upon as one of the premier wrestlers on the WWE roster.

“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," Zayn said to ESPN in a 2017 interview. 

Zayn emphasizes the big misconception of Arabic people where they are portrayed as radicals due to ignorance. This very ignorance is what led to the Muslim Ban.

I can't articulate how truly disgusted I am right now. #MuslimBan

— Sami Zayn (@iLikeSamiZayn) January 28, 2017

"The fear, hatred & division sold to us is a much bigger problem than our struggling brothers and sisters are. CHOOSE an open heart over anger," Zayn told ESPN in 2017.

He implies that his “struggling brothers and sisters,” are a problem, but the racial discrimination that Arabic people face is a much bigger issue. In today’s day and time no ethnicity should be facing inequality of any kind especially in the United States.

Due to WWE’s position in the wrestling industry Zayn has this platform to speak out and influence the younger generation. He’s paving the way for Muslim wrestlers to be looked at for their talent instead of their religion.

“With great power comes great responsibility,'" Sebei said in an ESPN interview. "With a platform that big, and with an opportunity this big, whether you want to be a role model or not, this puts you in a position where you have to be your best; it's really your duty to be the best that you can be.”

Zayn wants to emulate how important it is for a celebrity to maintain a positive image for their fans and followers. Celebrities are often more influential than they assume and they forget how “loud” their voice really is.

As a wrestler with Arabic descent Zayn often disagrees with the WWE's portrayal of Arabic wrestlers, especially when they’re seen as villains. He hopes that the WWE could have a more positive self image for their wrestlers. Zayn is an example of many celebrities that show the youth that it possible to make it big in America, it inspires them to strive harder.

"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," Zayn said in an interview with ESPN cited from wrestlingnewsworld. 

"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."

Authored by Anamul Hoque and Mohammed Kabir

The giant drinker

Every time you wanted a good show, you would expect to hear these words, “Standing at seven feet and four inches tall, weighing in at 540 pounds, the Eight Wonder of the World, Andre the Giant!” With his opponents trembling with fear, and his fans with widened jaws, Andre Roussimoff would give one hundred percent in the ring. He came in giant proportions and let out sheer power and aggression.

He started to drink alcohol when in the Japanese Wresting League. This continued when he joined the WWF in 1972. A man of enormous stature, he consumed beer in massive quantities. All of his associates had stories about his wild drinking and his need for alcohol. During the one month shooting of the movie “Princess and the Bride”, Roussimoff had a $40,000 bar tab. He was said to sit in his hotel room and just order beer after beer. His rival and later friend, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, once said, “[Andre the Giant] once sat with us in the bar of a hotel and drank 156 beers.”

Roussimoff became a dominant force in the WWF elevating his status to championship contender. He competed in many of the early Wrestlemania events. Before these important matches, Roussimoff would drink record amounts. He once drank 16 bottles of wine and went to wrestle in a 20-man match. He won the match and didn’t even stagger. He drank a lot, but it appeared to never affect him in the ring; however, he would actually pass out after matches because he drank so much.

He left the WWF for a short time because of a broken foot. While home, he started drinking uncontrollably. This time at home ultimately damaged Roussimoff. He developed heart and liver problems because of his size and drinking problem. He started losing his edge and became an in-ring villain. He went on a rocky losing streak for 3 years. Roussimoff made a huge comeback in 1990 after attacking his stable partner, Haku, and slapping his manager, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. Throughout 1990 and 1991, he made in the WWF after that. His last WWF appearance was in 1992. After that, he returned to Japanese wrestling until December 1992.

His death surprisingly didn’t come from liver failure. On of January 27, 1993 in a Paris hotel room, he died from congestive heart failure in his sleep, shortly after attending his father’s funeral. Even though drinking didn’t kill him; he was dubbed as, “The Greatest Drunk in History.”