A recent study showed that Liverpool's Egyptian striker Mohamed Salah's presence at the football club has been a direct cause of a decrease in Islamophobia and bigotry against Muslims in the British city.
Anti-muslim hate crimes fell by 18.9% after Salah started playing for Liverpool in June 2017, a research conducted by the Stanford University said, adding that anti-Muslim tweets by Liverpool fans fell by 50% compared to other major Premier League clubs.
The study noted that Salah's friendly character on the team had helped "humanize" the muslim community.
Additionally, research suggested that positive exposure to outgroup celebrities helps reveal new and humanizing information about a specific group, alleviating prejudices and making people familiar with the outgroup.
