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American football player Mustafi Al-Garawi displays his name in Arabic on Western Michigan University jersey

Iraqi American Mustafi Al-Garawi has made US college football history by wearing a jersey displaying his surname in Arabic.

His team, Western Michigan University, lost the season opener 6-23 against Michigan State last week, but images of Mr Al-Garawi's jersey quickly made the rounds on social media.

His university said when the senior defensive tackle requested that his surname be written in Arabic on the jersey, the university quickly obliged, hiring a local seamstress in Kalamazoo to embroider it.

WMU's athletics department said Mr Al-Garawi is one of the first college football players to have his surname displayed in Arabic script on a jersey.

He transferred from East Tennessee State university, and previously played for Tennessee's Pigeon Forge High School.

Mr Al-Garawi also hosts an American football podcast, Swamp to Sand, with his WMU teammate Louisiana native Kershawn Fisher.

“The name reflects their unique journeys: from the swamps of Louisiana to the sands of Iraq, this podcast dives deep into the experiences that shaped them,” reads the description on Apple's Podcast app.

WMU told The National that Mr Al-Garawi's father, Rashed, fled Iraq to the US during Saddam Hussein's regime.

The player is studying for an MBA at WMU, and has degrees in biology and health science from East Tennessee State.

“I did it for my parents,” he said on his podcast. “Being from Iraq, man, they would have loved to have the opportunity I had to go to school … The least I can do is go to school and get a degree.”

In addition to his affinity for American football, Mr Al-Garawi won two state championships in wrestling while at high school.

He is not alone in using his jersey to honour his background. In 2024, Notre Dame cornerback Charles Du, from Beijing, had his last name displayed in Chinese on the back of his jersey.

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A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance

A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities

Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods

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