A recent report suggests, that the success of Liverpool Muslim star Mohamed Salah has reportedly decreased hate and race crimes in the English Premier League. Academics, journalists,  and sports analysts have made a direct connection between footballers becoming ambassadors of the set of morals they uphold and faith they follow. We have seen this across the board in sports. Our favorite athletes are no longer esteemed just for their skills in the stadium, they become idolised based on their philanthropic work and family values. Cristiano Ronaldo set an example as one of the few footballers who refused to get tatted, as this would affect his blood, which he is known to give regularly. Stars like Papiss Cisse, and Demba Ba in the past are players that have helped to tackle Islamophobia by bowing in sujood mid-celebration after a goal, Newcastle fans had a similar reaction to Mohamed Salah’s fans when singing about Ba and the increased number of goals scored since Ramadan. A Newcastle fan said, “having black players as role models changed attitudes to race.” It seems Muslim players are doing the same for their faith. “It breaks barriers and gets people thinking about religion, it’s a powerful message.”

The archetype of the football fan is the white working class man, who usually posseses a  worldview that severely contradicts the values of the football heroes he holds in high regard. This is why the video of Liverpool fans, documenting their respect, adulation, and celebration of their favorite player, Mohamed Salah, and his religion, did the rounds on social media. Because it was chill-inducing, seeing a group of rowdy football lads, singing about a Muslim, Egyptian, and his religion and their quantified acceptance of it, mindblowing.

---

Related

Letters to your younger self: trust in God’s blueprint

Making your wealth work

Letters to your younger self religion is not your conflict

---

Football and the game has always been at the center and intersection of identity politics. Could we then argue, that public figures like these are proving to be a lot more effective in eliciting dawah in their own capacity from their own communities? The football community spans across: platforms, race, ethnicities, genders, and fields. As sports, like food, can be a unifying language that proves to bridge gaps, and create bonds, an activity humans participate in and find resolution through, leading to common ground off the pitch too. Could we then argue that this is far more influential in propagating a positive, and powerful message regarding the faith of the messenger, the messenger here being Mo Salah? More so than someone excessively preaching on Youtube perhaps? His subtle but transformative action in bowing and prostrating to Allah (swt) after scoring a goal, in the public space in under three minutes, reveals what Islam truly entails, putting Allah at the center of everything. His prostration not only called young men, women, and children everywhere to want to mimic him, bowing in humble prostration to a lord that they may or may not believe in yet. But it also elicited fascination, what is it about him, that grants him such skill and success? He answers this question on the pitch, God.

Lyrics to the viral chant went a little like this:

“Mo Sal- la- la-la-lah

Mo Sal-la-la-la-lah

If he’s good enough for you he’s good enough for me

If he scores another few then i’ll be Muslim too

If he’s good enough for you, He’s good enough for me

If hes sitting in a Mosque

That where I want to be

Mo Sal-la-la-la-lah

Mo Sal-la-la-la-lah”

Athletes are being widely regarded as ambassadors of Islam through their mass appeal as prominent public figures and their open identification of the Islamic faith. This bridges an interaction with their fans, and  Islam and initiates a conversation that may never have happened outside the world of sport.

Goal of the Day!

Mo Salah lighting it up during his @OfficialASRoma days ????#ASRoma pic.twitter.com/FGeq0UIlFs

— Dugout (@Dugout) January 3, 2018

Liverpool fans with a new Mohammed 'Mo' Salah chant ???????? "…if he scores amother few then I'll be Muslim too…" pic.twitter.com/1SYDGPo9dt

— muslim daily (@BirdsOfJannah) February 14, 2018