Khawaja has called for increased sanctions on Israel and more humanitarian aid for Gaza.<\/p>\n
Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today Last week, respected international aid agency Save the Children said in a statement: \u201cAt least one Palestinian child has been killed every hour on average by Israeli forces in Gaza in nearly 23 months of war, with the number killed now surpassing 20,000.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s sad. It\u2019s been happening for two years,\u201d Khawaja told AAP.<\/p>\n \u201cKids were getting slaughtered. Now kids are getting starved to death. Before (people would say) it was an \u2018accident\u2019, but now everyone can see that starving a population to death is not an accident.<\/p>\n \u201cThat is the difference now. More people have come around and just said, \u2018enough is enough\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n On Tuesday the United Nations Committee on the Rights of a Child said the children of Gaza were \u201cenduring unimaginable suffering due to acute malnutrition, starvation and conditions of famine\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cIsrael must take immediate action to end its obstruction of humanitarian aid and \u2026 protect children in Gaza from further harm,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n The Israeli Defence Forces have repeatedly rejected allegations of deliberate starvation of civilians.<\/p>\n Ahead of the Boxing Day Test in 2023, Khawaja, in solidarity with the people of Gaza, was barred by the International Cricket Council from displaying the dove of peace on his apparel.<\/p>\n Khawaja would not be denied on the issue, and went out to bat in a BBL game with the dove motif on his bat.<\/p>\n He told AAP his actions were underpinned by an unshakable belief that a child\u2019s life is precious, no matter what country they live in.<\/p>\n \u201cThe reason I spoke up right at the start at the MCG was because I never thought Palestinians, particularly the children, were being treated the same way in the media as what was going on in Ukraine,\u201d Khawaja said.<\/p>\n \u201cI saw all these headlines about Ukraine and how Russia is a devil, but no one was talking about this. To me it was clear why. The Ukrainian kids look like us. They are white. Then you had these coloured people dying. I felt like there was a racial divide occurring.\u201d<\/p>\n Khawaja, father to daughters Ayla and Aisha, is distressed to see a child die anywhere due to conflict.<\/p>\n \u201cThey are just kids. One death is one too many. The loss of each is equal,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cYet the government has given $1 billion in aid to Ukraine, and $130 million to the people of Gaza.\u201d<\/p>\n When Pakistan-born Khawaja speaks it is with a humanitarian ethos, although he said he understood \u201csome things are political in some respects\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve had a go at other politicians in the past because I stand very strongly for an inclusive, multicultural Australia. That is something I am really passionate about, through my experiences,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cI had some tough times growing up in western Sydney, and I hate it when other people discriminate against Australians, for being Australians.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause I am not white doesn\u2019t mean I am not Australian. That is something I have had to deal with my whole life, even in cricket. That is where my passion really stemmed from, and from there it has evolved into other things.\u201d<\/p>\n Khawaja admits he could speak up for \u201ca million things\u201d, but is mindful of which ones he stands up for publicly.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think that will change once I stop playing, because someone needs to speak up,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of times athletes are too afraid to speak up because they are afraid of what might happen \u2018here\u2019 or \u2018over there\u2019, or lose contracts. I feel like I have always been able to speak respectfully to project what I am trying to say.<\/p>\n \u201cI do it for the greater good. Nothing I have ever spoken up about has benefited me. I am not making money out of it. I am happy to do it because I know it is the right thing to do, and I will never stop doing what is right.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the athletes I most look up to is Muhammad Ali. People remember him for what he did in the boxing ring, but also for what he did outside the boxing ring.\u201d<\/p>\n Khawaja, who also knows Treasurer Jim Chalmers well, said he was grateful the prime minister gave him his time.<\/p>\n \u201cI was very fortunate I got to have a one-on-one with the PM. I want to keep that relationship open in the future, so I am mindful of not talking about a private conversation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cI did talk to him about the children of Gaza dying.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople say sport and politics don\u2019t mix, but I know so many politicians through cricket. Whether I would do anything (in politics) after my career \u2026 I would never say no, but I am not really sure.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t say yes either. I have got a young family and have other things happening in my life.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sam Konstas takes drastic action in key tweak before Ashes<\/p>\n 3 min read<\/p>\n![\"Download](\"https:\/\/7news.com.au\/static\/media\/right-red-arrow.92bca5db.svg\"){kind=icon}
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Usman](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/5dad8373e6b97bbf22939f957dbf351421981db5.jpg\")
Usman Khawaja has used his voice to speak up on a variety of humanitarian issues. Credit: AAP<\/p>\n