For years and years, Mo Salah has been called the “Pride of the Arabs”. And it’s because of everything he’s accomplished in football, the numerous records he broke & goals he scored and the tremendous amount of titles he won. The Arab world doesn’t have and hasn’t had a star as big as Mo Salah. People in the Arab world, at homes, in cafes, and just everywhere always couldn’t wait to see Mo Salah play for Liverpool and even with the Egyptian National team. They celebrated his success like crazy and in his down times, they also defended him like crazy. So, with the war in Gaza and with more than 2,000 Palestinians killed including 700 children, everybody expected Salah to take some kind of stand, ANY stand. But what was that stand that Salah took? Nothing. Zero. Complete silence. And he’s in a lot of trouble for that. What makes matters worse is that his Egyptian compatriot Mohamed El Neny of Arsenal as well as other Arab footballers like Riyad Mahrez supported the Palestinians whether on their social media accounts or by raising the Palestinian flag.
So why this utter silence on Mo’s part? And Should Athletes Get Involved In Politics? If Mo Salah hadn’t taken a stand on ANY issue, I would’ve understood and realized that this is a guy who probably just wants to focus on playing football and stay away from politics. But part of the reason that Salah is under fire for his silence is that he has taken a stand on “cats and dogs”, where he previously criticized a government plan to export stray cats and dogs. He ended his tweet with the hashtag “no to animal rights violations”. So what about human rights violations, Mo?
This reminds of Michael Jordan, who many regard him as the Greatest of all time in Basketball and probably one of the best athletes in the history of sports. During a 1990 Senate race in Jordan’s home state of North Carolina, he refused to endorse Democrat Harvey Gantt, an African American who was running against Republican Jesse Helms, a notorious racist. Jordan explained away his refusal by saying “Republicans buy sneakers, too”. Meaning that an endorsement might affect sales to his brand “Air Jordan”. The quote that has come to define what many see as his willingness to put profit over principles and make no mistake about it, but the comment has followed the superstar throughout his life. In contrast, the greatest player of the current era, LeBron James has spoken out numerous times on issues such as gun violence.
Now Mo Salah probably understands that there would be backlash for any support to the Palestinians, because that’s exactly what happened to Mohamed El Neny. His post provoked anger from Arsenal's Jewish fans. But since there’s gonna be backlash anyways, whose backlash is more important to you, Mo? Your fan base in England, or your Arab compatriots? Do what’s right Mo. You might be a football star, but you’re also a human being.