Mohamed Salah and the decline of Islamophobia in the Wes

Jakarta, NU Online

The exciting match of Week 4 of the Premier League between Leeds United versus Liverpool was colored by a horror incident. In a match held at Elland Road, Sunday (12/9/2021) night WIB, Juergen Klopp's men managed to score three goals without reply. However, the victory came at a price with the injury of Harvey Elliot.

 

The 18-year-old midfielder groaned in pain after being tackled hard by Pascal Struijk in the 57th minute. Mohamed Salah, who was closest, immediately made an important decision when Elliot felt pain in his ankle. In addition to asking the referee to stop the match, Salah also rushed to call the medical team to immediately carry out treatment.

 

His actions earned praise from many football fans. Because the medical team could move quickly, even before the referee stops the match. This is very important and decisive for the Elliot's future.

 

Thanks to the initiative, Salah's name is shining even more. Moreover, in that match, the Egyptian national player again recorded a record of 100 goals in the English League from 162 matches he had played. Inevitably, it is also a positive wind towards the Islamic world in the West.

 

A study by academics from Stanford University, the University of Colorado Boulder, and the Immigration Policy Lab (IPL) of Stanford University and the Confederation of Technology Institute (ETH) Zurich discusses specifically the influence of the number 11 jersey player.

 

The study was titled “Can Celebrity Exposure Reduce Prejudice? Mohamed Salah's Influence on Islamophobic Behavior and Attitudes”, published in the journal Immigration Policy Lab (IPL) of Stanford University and the Confederation of Technology Institute (ETH) Zurich. The results showed that Mo Salah's presence in Liverpool could reduce hate crimes by 16 percent in the Merseyside area, where Liverpool is located. Liverpool fans also cut down on anti-Muslim tweets by 50 percent compared to fans of other top clubs.

 

Of course this is not a strange thing. The reason is that Liverpool supporters who are known to be very fanatical have special chants for the 1992-born player. Here are the chants.

 

Mo Salah lala lala lala Mo Salah lala lala lala.
If he is good enough for you, he is good enough for me.
If he scores another few, then I'll be Muslim too.
If he is good enough for you, he is good enough for me.
Sitting in the mosque, that is i where wanna be.
Mo Salah lala lala lala Mo Salah lala lala lala.

 

The player nicknamed the Egyptian Messi started grazing in Europe for the first time at FC Basel, Switzerland. He left El-Mukawloon in 2012 because of the complicated problems that plagued his country, which stopped football competition there.

 

After successfully leading Basel to win the 2012-2013 season, Salah accepted the proposal of a club based at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea, in January 2013. He also continued his career in the Italian capital, at AS Roma, before officially signing a contract with Liverpool.

 

Reporter: Syakir NF

Editor: Sudarto Murtaufiq