It's the Christmas story in reverse. Like every year, in these festive days, Mohamed Salah he posted a photo of his family under the richly decorated Christmas tree on his Instagram profile. The striker of Liverpoolhis wife Magi Sadiq and daughters Makka and Kayan, all dressed in the same festive pajamas, happily pose next to a gingerbread man. The post, which is simply titled “#MerryChristmas” and which was shared with the footballer's 63.7 million followers, sparked a wave of reactions.
Fans tell Salah “I will block all your contacts”
Salah he is an observant Muslim, Muslims do not traditionally celebrate Christmas and for some – not all – “Mo”'s habit of sharing this moment of joy does not suit.
Just scroll through the comments to realize it: “You disappointed me, brother,” writes a follower. And again: “We Muslims admire you, and you reciprocate with this coin”, a comment accompanied by many crying emojis. “Cancel it immediately”, the request of another, which sounds all too much like an order. The tones are very heated, sometimes threatening: “You have already received many warnings, but you go ahead and publish this shameful photo. May Allah protect you. From now on, I will no longer follow you on social media and will block your contacts. And I'll stop watching Liverpool games forever.”
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“You don't deserve this criticism”
There are, however, many fans who defend the Liverpool player. For example, @jamesredmond_97 writes: “Merry Christmas, Mo. Ignore all these idiots. I hope you and your family have a happy and well-deserved holiday.” Another user, @Pras_fpl, quips about the predictability of the criticism: “In what has become an annual tradition on Christmas Day, I read and enjoy the comments on Salah's post for an hour. It never disappoints.”
Salah's religiosity
Still others are surprised by this fury against a practicing and devout Muslim: the Egyptian striker, an absolute idol in his homeland, has repeatedly stated that he often reads the Koran, when he scores he points to the sky and prostrates himself, every year during Ramadan – which he respects, with the difficulties common to all athletes – he returns to his village of origin, in the poor governorate of Gharbiyya, in the Nile Delta, and donates money to good works. Not only that: he named his first daughter Makka in honor of the holy city of Mecca, where he went on a pilgrimage in 2019.
Of all the comments on his post, the most unlikely is a “curse” from a user, who launches into reckless predictions: “Mark my words: you won't score any goals until the end of the season, for disrespecting our beloved Prophet and to the entire Muslim community”. Unlikely because Salah – despite saying he is “disappointed” by Liverpool's attitude, which has not yet offered him a contract renewal, which expires next June – is in extraordinary form on the pitch. The Egyptian striker has scored 15 goals and provided 11 assists so far this season, making him the first player in Premier League history to reach double figures in goals and assists before Christmas.
