What did Robert Saleh say when asked if wearing the Lebanese flag caused the Jets shooting?

Robert Saleh made his first public appearance since being fired as head coach of the New York Jets.

Footage obtained by TMZ showed the former coach shopping at a local Whole Foods in northern New Jersey this week.

In the video, Saleh was asked if he believed his decision to raise the Lebanese flag in the final game was a result of his head coach being sacked just five games into the season.

Saleh did not answer questions and eventually drove away.

The Jets fired Saleh after their loss to the Minnesota Vikings in London. Jets president Woody Johnson confirmed his decision in a statement on October 8.

“This was not an easy decision to make, but we are not in a position where expectations should be met, and we believe now is the best time to move in a different direction,” it said in a statement.

During the defeat in London, Saleh was seen wearing a pin on his jacket. The decision to wear the pin came amid continued attacks on the state by Israel in the days before the match.

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Saleh is of Lebanese descent and was the first Muslim head coach in NFL history. Saleh's parents were both born in Lebanon and immigrated to the United States in 1979 before Saleh was born. Saleh previously wore a Lebanese flag on his arm during a game against the Giants on October 7, 2023, just weeks after Hamas terrorists attacked Israel. .

Saleh comes in a week where NFL executive vice president of club business Peter O'Reilly issued a statement encouraging players to express their heritage with flag decals on the back of their helmets, and coaches added patches to their team gear. was wearing the patch.

49ers coach Kyle Shanahan explains why Jets fired Robert Saleh as 'pretty shocked'

New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh poses with running back Breece Hall and quarterback Aaron Rodgers after scoring a touchdown against the New England Patriots on September 19, 2024 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. blessed. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Shortly after Saleh's firing, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) issued a statement explaining to the Jets and Johnson multiple reports that said Saleh was escorted out of the building by security after his firing. We also raised this fact. Saleh was fired days after wearing the pin, he said.

“I applaud Coach Robert Saleh for making history as the first American Muslim head coach in NFL history. No one should jump to conclusions as to why the Jets fired Coach Saleh, but the Jets security guard… Reports that Saleh was physically escorted from the building raise concerns about possible motives for such unusual animosity, especially given that Saleh wore a Lebanese flag pin in a match days earlier. About it,” he said.

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New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh speaks from the sideline during the game against the Denver Broncos at MetLife Stadium. (Robert Deutsch Iman Images)

FOX News Digital previously asked the Jets for comment on CAIR's statement but did not receive a response.

Meanwhile, Saleh released his own statement on Oct. 9 expressing gratitude for his tenure with the Jets.

“Thank you to everyone at the Jets organization for the opportunity to work with so many great people,” he said in a statement to ESPN. I will continue.'' “To the most passionate fans in the NFL, thank you for accepting my family. We are so blessed to call New York home and we will be forever grateful for all the memories made here. Sho.”

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