Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah is one of the most popular names in the Arab world. In the homeland of the striker, a real cult has grown, to which even the special term “salomania” is given. Mo’s rare unofficial sports newspaper is on its front page, people fill city bars while playing Liverpool, and the local cell phone operator has launched a special promotion – free minutes for every goal Salah scores. Mohammed is called by many as a role model for North African and Middle Eastern countries.
This is largely due to the player’s piety. He often prostrates after goals, does charity work, and builds public buildings in his hometown. Especially in the Muslim world, Salah was respected in 2012, after refusing to play against Israel’s Maccabi, when he nevertheless entered the match and knocked out rival Basel from European competition. At the same time, the Israeli press further increased the striker’s rating in Muslim countries by repeating Salah’s statement that “the Zionist flag should not tarnish the Champions League”. However, the offer turned out to be fake.
But for a modern football star it is difficult to strictly observe all the laws of Islam, since Salah was several times “flying” for obscure acts reproached among Muslims.
For example, after a brilliant season in Basel, Salah earned the title of best young player of the season early in his career. At the gala ceremony, she allowed him to kiss the girl presenting the award on the cheek, which was severely criticized at home. Mohamed was surprised: “Wherever I am in Switzerland, Egyptian fans hate me while they applaud me.”
He did not allow Mohamed to overlook any more like this. A video of a journalist trying to kiss the Liverpool forward after his Champions League final victory went viral online. Salah deftly escaped.
After the Champions League final with Real Madrid in 2018, after Salah was injured and unable to continue playing after Sergio Ramos’ shot, Kuwaiti preacher Mubarak al-Bathali saw God’s punishment in this: For his mistake or omission.” The truth is Liverpool His physiotherapist said that before the match, at the insistence of a nutritionist, Salah had to reserve Ramadan on the day of the Champions League final and eat 1.5 hours before entering the field.
Later, fans criticized Mohamed for a photo on social networks where he celebrates Catholic Christmas with his family. “Today you are a Christian, tomorrow you are a Muslim. You will have to explain to the Creator”; “I didn’t expect that from you, Salah. It is a great sin to look like infidels.” Here are the comments Salah received on that post.
Muslim fans did not like the fact that Salah lit up with a shaved chest at one of the photo shoots. When a shaved show of strength after goals scored became the norm for Mohamed, all that was left was acceptance.
And in one of the advertisements where Mo runs on water and makes a ball of mint, some saw a reference to Jesus. It got weird.
In any case, Salah remains a major authority in the Muslim world. She’s never really gotten into a scandalous storyline, and her petty mistakes are more the result of inexperience and an attempt to combine the imperatives of faith with the life of a superstar. But for his religion, Mohamed does a lot. It’s worth the fact that only a few English fans openly proclaimed their conversion to Islam, inspired by the Liverpool striker.
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