Mohamed Salah and the West’s Obsession with Ego Over Principle

The Outrage Over Salah

Mohamed Salah’s recent public criticism of Liverpool and its manager Arne Slot has sent shockwaves through the football world. Pundits were quick to chastise him, accusing him of “washing dirty linen in public,” of prioritising ego over loyalty, and of undermining the very institution that has brought him success. Yet before we rush to judge Salah, it is worth pausing to consider a broader truth: what he did is not new, and in many ways, it mirrors a culture that has long dominated Western politics.

A Culture of Public Grievances in Politics

For decades, politicians in the United States, the United Kingdom, and much of Europe have made public grievance airing not only acceptable but a strategic tool. Senior ministers under Conservative governments — from Theresa May to Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, and Rishi Sunak — have repeatedly run to the press with internal tensions, using newspapers and media outlets to undermine their own governments. Boris Johnson himself famously attacked David Cameron while still a member of his Cabinet, refusing to resign while weaponising the EU referendum as a launchpad for his own leadership ambitions.

Across the Atlantic, the Trump era normalised televised betrayal as a political instrument. Former aides wrote public tell-all books, exposed private conversations, and sat for primetime interviews attacking the very administration that once elevated them. Labour has seen its own share of internal wars broadcast to the nation: shadow ministers resigning via Twitter, MPs briefing against their party leaders during elections, and committees leaking minutes directly to newspapers.

These acts are not seen as breaches of loyalty; they are celebrated as transparency, courage, or “speaking truth to power.” Yet the consequences are the same everywhere: trust is eroded, institutions are destabilised, and leadership becomes a theatre dominated by ego and ambition.

The Costs of Public Spectacle

This culture comes at a cost. Institutions weakened by internal sabotage cannot function effectively. Colleagues become guarded, decisions are driven by optics rather than principle, and leadership devolves into performance and personal branding. Personal advancement replaces collective purpose, and the pursuit of public attention erodes the character of those who seek it.

Liberal secular politics, in particular, has normalised this dysfunction. In these systems, politics is no longer about duty, justice, or the welfare of the people; it is a career, a stage, and a playbook for personal advancement. Leaders are judged on charisma, media performance, and the ability to manipulate public perception rather than the substance of their policies or the well-being of their constituents. Loyalty, principle, and long-term responsibility are sacrificed for short-term gain and spectacle. The result is a landscape dominated by fragile personalities, reactive decisions, and the appearance of competence, while the capacity to solve real human problems is deeply compromised.

A Call to Higher Standards

Mohamed, allow me to speak directly to you. You carry a responsibility far beyond the football pitch. You are an ambassador of the Islamic civilisation. When ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ was chosen to lead the Muslim army into Egypt, many companions were more experienced, more senior, and more qualified. Yet they did not rebel, they did not leak their frustrations, and they did not seek public validation. They obeyed, trusted the chosen leadership, and ensured the mission succeeded.

Your platform, influence, and example give you the power to rise above the culture of spectacle and ego that dominates liberal secular societies. Just as you make sajood after scoring a goal, showing the world that your great skills are linked to Allah (SWT), you could have shown that your belief in Islam teaches that integrity, patience, and dignity remain possible in a world increasingly defined by public outrage and personal ambition. You have the opportunity to demonstrate the principles that have guided generations of the Islamic civilisation.

There is strength in restraint. There is power in choosing the institution over the individual. And there is lasting respect in demonstrating that, even in frustration, one can act with the principles of your faith. You are capable of showing millions what leadership, loyalty, and courage truly mean — far beyond what any pundit could ever dictate.

The Higher Ground

Salah, your moment is bigger than football. It is a chance to embody a legacy of discipline, principle, and Islamic civilisational pride, reminding the world that public grievance need not descend into spectacle. That integrity is always the higher ground when tied to the noble message of Islam.