KUCHING: Liverpool star Mohamed Salah or ‘Mo Salah’ has earned praise for fostering religious inclusivity, after he posted his family photo in front of a Christmas tree.
The Egyptian footballer has made it an annual tradition for his family to dress in matching Christmas pyjamas and pose beside a decorated tree during the festive season.
In his recent post, Salah, his wife Magi, and their daughters Makka and Kayan cheerfully posed alongside the Christmas tree and a gingerbread figure, with Salah captioning the image: “Merry Christmas.”
While many fans appreciated the gesture, some expressed disappointment. Critics, citing superstition, feared the post might bring bad luck to Liverpool, particularly during their Boxing Day match and ongoing league performance.
On social media, one user wrote, “You let me down, bro” while another demanded Salah to immediately delete the post.
On the other side of the coin, a user praised Salah for his openness and urged him to ignore the negativity.
Nevertheless, Salah quickly silenced the doubters as Liverpool secured a 3-1 victory over Leicester City at Anfield on Thursday (Dec 26). Goals by Cody Gakpo, Curtis Jones, and Salah himself extended the team’s lead at the top of the Premier League by seven points.
The matter has also caught the attention of former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng.
He took to Facebook to praise Salah for his respect for the Christmas celebration.
“A MU (Manchester United) fan salutes you Mohamed Salah.
“Being a MU fan, I would not have posted news about Liverpool Football Club’s top scorer Mohamed Salah. But I wish to commend his courage, openness and respect for the Christmas celebration without jeopardising his own faith as a devout Muslim,” Guan Eng said.
Guan Eng described Salah’s action as to get his family, especially teaching his two young daughters to respect other faiths.
“You have made your fans proud by such a gracious gesture,” he said.
On the comment section of Guan Eng’s post, a user said, “There are many I know and are out there who are similar to Mohamed Salah, simply because not to offend others. Wonderful family with love in their hearts willing to share with others.”
A funny comment was also posted, with the user saying, “Whatever Mo Salah did is up to him. Important for me is MU lost 2-0 to Wolves.”
Meanwhile, state Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah told Sarawak Tribune that Salah is a great football player and having fans all over the world and of different faith, was doing just the right thing.
“What is wrong with celebrating Raya, Christmas, Chinese New Year, Gawai, Diwali or others? That should be encouraged.
“I am proud of what Salah did! Those who criticise Salah, should look at themselves deeper,” said Abdul Karim, who is also a Liverpool fan since his secondary school days.
Later, some die-hard fans from Sarawak saw no issue with Salah’s post.
Hamdan Ismail told Sarawak Tribune, “It is his right. Why make a mountain out of a molehill.”
Another fan, who wishes to only be known as Isaac said, “Salah’s intention is for his children to learn diversity and inclusivity, but without disrupting their faith.”
Sulok Tawie said in Sarawak, he has not heard of people including Sarawakian Muslim complaining on social media regarding Christmas celebration and the way Christians celebrated the festive occasion being posted on social media platforms.
“We, the non-Muslims, also enjoy ourselves during Hari Raya celebration, and even join them during breaking of fast.
“This is the special kind of relationship that we must continue to maintain and cherish.
“Meanwhile, our Head of State and Premier posted on Facebook and sent their Christmas greetings to Sarawakian Christians in conjunction with Christmas celebrations to show how much we treat and respect each other of different faiths,” he said.
For Dr Tiong, he said he respects Salah’s personal life, decision or action – including the post related to Christmas.
“As a Christian, I welcome him to post anything pertaining to Christmas, just like how some of my Buddhist friends share their Christmas celebrations on social media,” he said.
Churchill Drem, then said Salah, is more than just a footballer who contributed to the society as well as played a part in promoting world peace.
“There are Christians in Egypt, Iran, and Syria, for that matter, and therefore, it is not strange to see their respective citizens celebrating it socially,” he said.
Aizal, a young fan, said Salah’s actions were noble, which showed respect for other religious celebrations.
“Every religion teaches its followers to respect other religions. For example, my Christian friends welcome the month of Ramadan and even join in fasting like Muslims. Learning to respect one another is crucial.
“And as the famous Liverpool slogan goes, ‘You’ll never walk alone’,” said the 26-year-old.
For Ujang, he said Salah can post anything he wants but most importantly is about educating peace.
“Salah is just ensuring that his family gets to learn about other faiths. Raising his children to respect other cultures, traditions and giving them special memories to remember when they’re adults,” he said.
