mohammad salah is an international football player who currently plays for liverpool, the most important arab player, the 2017 african footballer of the year, the best player on the bbc poll, the winner of dozens of other prestigious international awards, the most expensive arab player throughout history, and the most expensive player ‘bought’ by liverpool.
these are some of the achievements of mohammad salah ghali taha. on the football field he is a rival of ( c r i s t i a n o ) ronaldo and (lionel) messi and other players who are wellknown, who in a short period of time has been idolized by many soccer crazy football fans in the uk and liverpool supporters in particular.
although mohammad salah is a simple man characterized by nothing, his ball dribbling skills has earned him fame and kneeling down on the field after scoring a goal in typical muslim fashion to thank the almighty has earned him praise from loved ones and his well-wishers.
i am not a soccer fan and i don’t remember ever watching a full football match when i see some people watching soccer, and i am not interested in writing about the skills of this man, but i am concerned about what this simple egyptian has done to change the reputation of arabs and muslims in the world, and europe in particular; a good reputation i would say that reflects the culture and sporting influence to hundreds of millions of people.
over the past few years, many arabs and muslims were ashamed of traveling outside their world because of total rejection and hostility they face in the press and streets of many large european cities, because of what the idiots in our countries have done.
the image of a muslim sporting long beard and women wearing headscarves aroused concern and fear and suspicion. mohammad salah alone broke the state of islamophobia, and to see someone kneeling to thank god not only acceptable, but praiseworthy.
many of us, both those radical islamists, individuals, groups, gangs, those who are independent or others who are supported by the governments who shouted the slogans of reform and guiding people on the right path have tarnished our image as normal peaceloving people in the eyes of the rest of the peoples on the earth.
therefore, the name of muslim or arab has become synonymous with terrorism and murder -- cutting the necks and bombing – all done accompanied by shouts like alla-hu-akbar ‘god is greatest’.
then came mohammad salah who with his solo effort changed the whole scenario, after achieving victory after victory for his team. and therefore we need dozens and even hundreds like mohammad salah -- real scientists and not fake, creative not amateurs in dozens of areas, who we can send abroad from among many of us.
we want to see violinists and pianists to perform in concerts in the most famous european, asian and american opera houses to emulate mohammad salah. we want international athletes who raise the name of our countries high and remove from the minds of millions the idea that an arab or a muslim represents a terrorist.
we mohammad salah in the world of fashion, mohammad salah in the world of filmmaking, mohammad salah in the world of cooking, mohammad salah the comedian, mohammad salah the architect, and mohammad salah the journalist, to show the world that the dark side that they have seen is not us and also tell the world that what is seen is we arabs and muslims are kidnapped by extremists. we thank mohammad salah and other creative people for restoring our image.