//Skip to content
Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors

Egyptian Sculptor Receives Backlash for Her Mo Salah Statue

November 6, 2018
Mo Salah statue by Mai Abdallah. Photo credit: Mai Abdallah

As the World Youth Forum (WYF) was inaugurated last weekend in Sharm Al Sheikh, young Egyptian sculptor Mai Abdallah revealed her masterpiece of the renowned Egyptian footballer Mohamed Salah, known as Mo Salah, at the forum on Sunday. Contrary to common belief, Abdallah has been inspired to create the statue two years ago. However, she was only able to complete her carving approximately a month before the launch of the WYF. The clay-base figure is a depiction of Salah opening his arms, a trademark move he does after scoring to gesture appreciation towards his fans. “So, I found it is distinguished and executable,” Abdallah told Egypt Independent. While Salah is beloved by many, the statue received an overwhelming amount of backlash by social media users creating an ongoing controversy. The Minya-based artist has been subjected to various attempts of cyberbullying for her work. In response, she released a statement on social media addressing the criticism. “I gained the experience of two years in just two days,” she began,”I came across so many people who were supporting me and told me to keep doing what I am doing, and I also…


Hi guest,

You've read all of your free articles.
Subscribe now to support independent journalism and to enjoy:


Unlimited access to all our articles

Exclusive events and offers

First access to new premium newsletters

Ability to comment on articles

Full user profile