Veteran Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja has used his 39th birthday to speak out against a vile act of vandalism at a mosque in Brisbane's north, urging Australians not to be divided by hatred.
Disgusting Graffiti Targets Brisbane Mosque
Deeply offensive graffiti, including a swastika and the phrases "no Muslims = peace" and "F*** Allah", was discovered on the wall of the Masjid Taqwa mosque in Bald Hills on Wednesday. An image of the defaced building was shared on social media by Bisma Asif, the Labor Member for Sandgate and the first Muslim elected to the Queensland Parliament.
The post caught the attention of Khawaja, a proud Muslim who is based in South East Queensland. Taking to his Instagram story, the cricketer shared the picture of the desecrated wall with a powerful message: "Don't let the haters divide us," accompanied by an Australian flag emoji.
Community Leaders Call for Peace and Unity
Mosque director Kambiz Koshan expressed his bafflement at the incident, emphasising the community's commitment to peace. "We're all Australians," Koshan stated. "We shouldn't be pointing to a specific community for the fault of someone who doesn't even know what they're doing. Our message is peace. It's always peace."
Khawaja, known for being vocal on social and political issues, made his stand clear despite being in the midst of a critical juncture in his professional sporting career.
Khawaja's Never-Say-Die Battle for Test Spot
In a remarkable twist of fate, the same week Khawaja condemned the graffiti, he also reignited his fight to retain his place in the Australian Test team. Dropped for the eighth time by selectors earlier in the week, his career seemed over after he was overlooked for the Adelaide match following a return from back spasms.
However, Steve Smith's vertigo opened a door, and Khawaja seized the opportunity with a stylish 82 runs from 125 balls batting at number four for the Prime Minister's XI. After a slow start, he was dropped at second slip by Harry Brook on five, then proceeded to play with familiar ease, scoring 78 from his next 98 deliveries.
His innings helped steer his team to a total of 8-326, recovering from a precarious 4-94 and forming a crucial 91-run partnership with wicketkeeper Alex Carey, who scored 106.
This performance throws a selection dilemma into the mix ahead of the Boxing Day Test. While Travis Head and Jake Weatherald are set to open for the Ashes series, Khawaja's fighting knock proves, as it has so often before, that his career should never be written off. His late-career revival from 2019-2023, where he averaged 58.7 and scored seven centuries, shows his capacity to defy the odds.
