In addition to being a soccer player, he led demonstrations in his hometown of Homs, where for a period of time he hosted the actress Fadwa Soliman, with whom he held rallies demanding the removal of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, as well as other general demands of the Syrian uprising. As violence erupted between pro and antigovernmental groups, all four of his brothers were killed by Syrian security forces. His uncle, Mohiey Edden al-Sarout, was killed in November 2011 in Homs. He became well known for his chants during anti-government demonstrations. Initially, his speeches and chants were mostly nationalist in nature, but in line with the rising influence of islamism among Syrian rebel groups, they gradually adopted more overtly religious and sectarian undertones. During the Siege of Homs from 2011–14, he became a Syrian rebel commander.