Mohamed Salah, a football player for Liverpool, sparked debate after sharing a family Christmas photo. Supporters claim that by celebrating Christmas with them, he is betraying his Islamic beliefs
Mohamed Salah, a football superstar from Egypt, sparked debate among his supporters when he shared a family Christmas photo online.
On Sunday, the Muslim professional footballer posted a photo of himself and his family in front of a blue and white Christmas tree with the hashtag “#MerryChristmas.”
His most popular Instagram photo of the year received 3.7 million likes after receiving encouraging feedback from some of his supporters.
Despite the fact that comments on his other posts this year averaged around 15,000, this image received 122 thousand comments, the most of which were critical ones. It was also his most commented on image of the year.
Turkish actor and artist Celal AL wrote: “Muslim brother, we love you very dearly but we are astonished that you celebrated Christmas.
One supporter urged others not to mix things up, writing: “Bro… this is Islam we’re talking about not Christianity that you can do what you like.”
One more said: “We Muslims are not permitted to observe any other festivals or celebrations than those observed by the Prophet Mohammed (SAW). Brother, please don’t make people confused “.
In addition, many Muslim supporters claimed that Salah’s participation in a Christian event that honors Jesus as the son of God challenged the Muslim view that God is incomparably superior to people and hence could not have a son.
Salah’s supporters disagreed, arguing that “everyone is free to do whatever they want” and that no one should be condemning Salah.
“Many Christians in Egypt continue to celebrate Ramadan and Eid while maintaining their culture and sense of self. The problem here is forcing people to celebrate or not celebrate. The goal is to embrace tolerance and respect for others’ freedoms “Ram Ibrahim, a composer of music, wrote.
Salah has sparked controversy with a family Christmas photo in the past.
After uploading one the previous year, also in front of a Christmas tree, he faced similar outrage.
After Liverpool Football Club revealed Salah had signed a new, long-term contract with the Reds earlier this year, Liverpool supporters were “ecstatic.”
According to the new contract, “The Egyptian King,” who has at least 156 goals in 254 games for Liverpool, will stay with the team through 2025, according to AFP.
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