Friendly Islam in Mohamed Salah

 

Friendly Islam in Mohamed Salah

“If he’s good enough for you, he’s good enough for me”

“If he scores another few, then I’ll be Muslim too”

“Sitting in the mosque, that’s where I wanna be!”

“Mo Salah-la-la-la, la-la-la-la-la-la-la”

It's a chant adapted from the 1996 song " Good Enough " by the band Dodgy containing the supporters' support for Liverpool's Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah.

Mohamed Salah officially entered the Liverpool squad as of June 2017. Since then, he has been the prima donna that Liverpudlian , Liverpool fans have hailed , every time he goes down in the Reds costume. It's not just a matter of his very charming football, but the religious identity he brings to the world of football.

Without discrediting the gait of other Muslim players, Mohamed Salah has undoubtedly become the most highlighted Muslim player in recent years. He transformed into Liverpool's goal machine in winning various titles and, at the same time, still displayed a devout Muslim identity on and off the field.

As a Muslim player, Salah does not hesitate to show his Islamic identity. One of them through goal celebration. He often bows down every time he scores a goal.

“ It is a form of praying or thanking God for everything I have got. It was just a prayer and a prayer for victory. I've always done it, since I was young, everywhere, " Salah said in an interview with CNN quoted from Liverpool.com.

Salah's openness about his religion helped remove the stigma of Islam as an exclusive religion for many football fans. As quoted by mirror.co.uk , after years of growing Islamophobia across Europe, young Muslims in Liverpool feel their religion no longer makes them the target of hatred. This means that the improved image of Islam thanks to Salah has helped improve the stigma of non-Muslims against local Muslims, especially in Liverpool.

As written by Republika, Salah's achievements are not just goals and trophies on the field, but also related to his identity as a Muslim. In the midst of the swift issue of Islamophobia in Europe, Salah seems to represent another face of a Muslim. Salah is the image of a Muslim who is accomplished, friendly, and humble, in contrast to the image that has been attached to Islam, especially in Europe, which is attached to radicalism, violence, and terrorism.

The friendly face of Islam is evidenced by the presence of positive and very friendly slogans towards Salah's beliefs. The phrase “ If he scores another few, then I'll be Muslim too ” (if he scores new goals, I 'll be Muslim too ) shows the fans' enthusiasm for Salah's Muslim identity. Director of Football Against Racism in Europe , Piara Power, said it was the first time she had heard such positive and joyful chants regarding a player's religion.

According to research conducted by Stanford University, as quoted by CNN, Salah's arrival had an impact on reducing the number of hate crimes on Merseyside, the city where Liverpool is located. Referring to the official Premier League website, there is a decrease in crime based on race both in real life and in cyberspace.

Ben Bird, became the party directly affected by Salah. Bird is a season ticket holder at Nottingham Forests who converted to Islam inspired by Mohamed Salah.

“ Mohamed Salah really inspires me. I am a Nottingham Forest season ticket holder . I can be myself because I profess the belief that I am Muslim. I'm still me, and that's what Mohamed Salah has to say. I would love to meet him, just to shake his hand and say 'Cheers' or 'Syukran' . Says Bird, quoted by the Guardian .

Bird revealed that he used to think that Islam was a religion with backward people, they were not integrated and wanted to rule over everything. I have always looked at Muslims like elephants in the room. I have hatred for Muslims. However, since getting to know Salah, that perspective has changed 360 degrees.

Mohamed Salah has created a good image of Islam in Queen Elizabeth's country. Even become a role model for Muslim youth in the UK. Citing mirror.co.uk, Mo Salah's presence at the Abdullah Quilliam Mosque, just outside the city centre, has attracted more than 100 young people to pray this season. Friday prayers became so popular that 500 worshipers filled every room.

We certainly agree that Mo Salah's positive image is intertwined with his performance on the pitch. In other words, if in the first season he failed to show his ability to Liverpool fans, maybe his image would not be as good as it is now. Even if in the end his performance declines and he becomes "barren" in scoring goals, Salah 's exposure may not be as grand as it is now.

However, therein lies Mo Salah's strength. He is able to combine consistency of performance on the field with his obedience as a Muslim. With such an impressive image, others may be negligent of life and its principles. However, Mo Salah remains steadfast in internalizing and externalizing Islamic teachings, both inside and outside the field.

In Egypt, Mo Salah founded the Salah Foundation which has built ambulance stations and centers to distribute food to vulnerable groups. He provides monthly financial assistance to more than 400 poor families, and he builds a religious school, for 1,000 boys and girls, to teach moderate Islam in an effort to keep young Muslims away from extremism.

Mo Salah indirectly contributes to eroding the stigma of Islam that is attached to violence and terrorism by endorsing the face of Islam that is rahmatan lil alamin in England through football. Grazie, Mo.