I want to change how people perceived me when I came over here, change how the people perceive South-East Asians or Middle Eastern or Muslim or Hindu or whatever their identity is. I want them to just let that go and treat the performer as a performer. Mustafa Ali Read Quote
I did not want people to know that I was a Muslim; I did not want people to know my name or that I did not have an American name. I did not want that. Because I knew if they knew that, they would cast me as the bad guy. Mustafa Ali Read Quote
It’s very hard to be a family man, a father, a husband, an independent wrestler, and a police officer. Mustafa Ali Read Quote
One week, you’re facing Daniel Bryan, and next week, you’re teaming with AJ Styles. You’re in the ring with the best in the world. Part of me wants to tell myself they don’t just put anybody in the ring with them. I obviously want to be as good as them, and I feel like I can be and I can hang with them. Mustafa Ali Read Quote
I was that 16-year-old who loved WWE, and I wanted to be a pro wrestler, but I didn’t understand why I had to be the bad guy. I wanted to be like Jeff Hardy – I wanted to be like Rey Mysterio – but I was told I had to be the guy who screamed terrible things about America and attack people from behind. Mustafa Ali Read Quote
I don’t portray a terrorist. The American fans label me a terrorist. It doesn’t matter what I claim to be: in their eyes, I am whatever they say I am despite the fact that I’m not committing any ‘acts of terror.’ I ask you, how am I portraying a terrorist? Because I look like a Muslim? Mustafa Ali Read Quote
A lot of people will comment, ‘All the high flying will catch up to you.’ I think any form of wrestling will catch up to you. Mustafa Ali Read Quote
When I was trying to achieve my goal, I started training. I became a character, and everyone was expecting me to become the ‘Prince of…’ or the Middle-Eastern, and I wanted to wear a mask, and I wanted to be like a luchador from Mexico. And people asked me, ‘Why are you putting a mask on?’ And the truth is, I did not want to deal with who I was. Mustafa Ali Read Quote
