Osama Sharshar write
In a rare and exceptional event in the history of Arab football, that a sports star participates as a guest of honor in a cultural event, Mohamed Salah, the star of Egypt and the world, appeared to us from the window of the Emirate of Sharjah, where Egyptians enjoy true love from Dr. Sultan Al Qasimi, who loves Egypt with an endless love, and why not? He is one of the Emirati and Gulf icons who studied at the Faculty of Agriculture at Cairo University, and he is still closely connected to it, through his logistical, cultural, material and moral support for the Faculty of Agriculture and Cairo University. He is also a great Arab thinker, intellectual and writer, in addition to being the ruler of Sharjah.
The truth is that the love of Dr. Sultan Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, for Egypt and its people is not an exception. Rather, this love has become an inherited rule in the United Arab Emirates through the wise man of the Arabs, Sheikh Zayed, to his sons, especially Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed and Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, who inherited from him their love for Egypt and the Egyptian people. This is what we feel from the generous treatment of the Emirati people for more than a million Egyptian citizens in the United Arab Emirates who enjoy all care and attention from the Emirati authorities.
In a massive public scene in the open air, the people of Sharjah and the Emirati and Egyptian audience at the Sharjah International Book Fair, most of whom were young, received with a storm of unusual applause the pride of the Arabs, the star Mohamed Salah, in the presence of Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, a group of ministers and heads of government departments, and Professor Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, CEO of the Sharjah Book Authority, in an important indication of the high status that our Egyptian star has reached in the Arab world and even in the world.
There is no doubt that Mohamed Salah’s presence is a very important indication of the extent of the influence that Mohamed Salah has reached among the youth, especially at this time and in the most important cultural event in the Gulf countries, which is the Sharjah International Book Fair, which represents a beacon to be emulated and a qualitative leap for Emirati and Arab culture, and this is through statistics from international publishing houses participating in this cultural forum that the Emirate of Sharjah is distinguished by, especially since many global cultural, scientific and social symbols were honored at the exhibition. This year, the closing act at the conclusion of the Sharjah International Book Fair was the Egyptian icon and legend from the Atlantic to the Gulf, Mohamed Salah, who was loved by the English masses and became an ambassador for Egyptian and Arab youth in Europe and enjoys great appreciation and respect. I believe that the idea of Mohamed Salah’s presence at the Sharjah Fair is a very professional intelligence from the organizers, especially since our international star is at the peak of his glory and giving with his moral, athletic and human sincerity. These direct meetings have a much stronger impact than the statements of social media, the Internet and the virtual world, especially with the youth’s connection to a star like Mohamed Salah. I cannot describe to you, while I am in Sharjah, among the people of the Emirates, Egyptians and other Arab nationalities, how they love this man who has added a lot to raising the name of Egypt and the Arab world in the sky of Europe and world football, to the point that the streets surrounding the book fair and the indoor places were crowded with large numbers of fans, and the entire emirate was in a state of readiness to receive the son of Egypt, Mohamed Salah, in this fair, as words fail to describe the exceptional scene in our Arab world and in the United Arab Emirates, as every citizen on the land of the Emirates who loves football came to Sharjah to meet the Egyptian star. I believe that this exceptional, humanitarian and sporting scene in light of what is happening in Gaza and steadfast Lebanon creates new hope that if we unite and stand by the right, there will be a stand with the extremist terrorist entity, and I call on Mohamed Salah to take advantage of the momentum surrounding him to send a message to the world about the necessity of a ceasefire and an end to the war in Gaza and Lebanon.
