By Ramadan A. Kader Don't kill the golden goose For some, Egypt's international and Liverpool super-star Mohamed Saleh is Santa Claus. Dozens of people reportedly flock to the icon's home village in the province of Gharbia, requesting financial support from his family there. They are motivated by his benevolent deeds and charity donations. But according to sources close to the family, the influx is getting on the nerves of Salahs, who cannot step out of the house due to the legions camping outside. Some local media reported that Salah's family could decide to move from their home village because of the incessant discomfort. Not unrelated is the latest row that captured headlines in Egypt and elsewhere over the unauthorised use of Salah's image in marketing. The Egyptian Football Association has angered many fans of Mo Salah, when it featured the player's picture on the national team's plane for sponsorship. Salah is under contract with a rival sponsor. The act and ensuing inconclusive talks disappointed the 25-year-old footballer, who is famous for his modesty. "Unfortunately, the way this has been dealt with is extremely insulting. I was hoping dealing would be classier than this," he said in a tweet. His comment made waves in the media and prompted Egyptian officials to act to defuse the dispute. Minister of Sports and Youth Khaled Abdul Aziz last week promised that the dispute will be resolved by May 13. Egyptians expect a lot from Salah in the Pharaohs' first appearance in the World Cup in 28 years. In October, he scored twice in a World Cup qualifier to secure a place for Egypt in Russia's global tournament. These expectations are legitimate. What is not legitimate is to distract him from his career as a brilliant footballer. Salah does not have a magic wand to solve others' financial problems. Nor should he. His job is to score goals on the pitch, not to hand out money off field. Being an inspiring role model and a joy-maker is an invaluable asset for which the young man should be duly appreciated. **** When blood is thinner than water A Cairo criminal court this week sentenced a labourer to 15 years in prison after convicting him of murdering his neighbour in a water dispute, a private newspaper said. The convict had confessed in investigations that he fatally stabbed his neighbour during a quarrel because the latter's maintenance works in his apartment resulted in cutting water supplies in their house, Youm7 reported online. The defendant blamed the victim for halting water flow for long because he was fixing a faulty pipe in their tenement in the district of el-Zaytoun in east Cairo. The water cut made it hard for the labourer to go to work because he had no water to drink and cover other daily usage, according to the report. "I went to him to reproach him over the disruption," the convict was quoted as telling prosecutors. "But he hit me. I reacted by striking back and stabbing him by a knife." The slain neighbour had 10 stabs in different parts of his body, according to a police report. The court ruling can be appealed. **** Wading into Syria quagmire US President Donald Trump was the first to float the idea of sending Arab forces to war-ravaged Syria where Washington's policy is bogged down into uncertainty. Trump once said he would withdraw US servicemen from Syria. Later, he backed down, pledging to keep a foothold there. He still clings to his idea of deploying Arab forces to Syria, and demands more funding from wealthy Arab countries. "We have asked our partners to take greater responsibility for securing their home region, including contributing larger amounts of money," Trump said last month. Later in April, he raised the issue again, without mincing his words. "They – states and, as I alluded to, that in countries that are in the area, some of which are immensely wealthy, would not be there except for the United States and to a lesser extent France. But they wouldn't be there except for the United States, they wouldn't last a week," Trump said at a press conference with visiting French President Emanuel Macron in Washington. "We are protecting them. They have to now step up and pay for what's happening." His blunt talk came days after the US, Britain and France unleashed a series of airstrikes in Syria over a suspected chemical attack blamed on the Syrian government in a once-rebel-controlled enclave near Damascus. "And yet we've spent $7 trillion in the Middle East and we've got nothing for it. Nothing, less than nothing, as far as I'm concerned," Trump said. "That's over an 18- year period. The countries that are there, that you all know very well, are immensely wealthy." But this is fake news, of which the 71-year-old president has repeatedly cast himself as a foe. The money spent by the US in the Middle East has paid off over the years. It has earned it a political clout and even military presence. Moreover, the Middle East ranks high on the list of purchasers of American weapons. In touting his idea for pulling out from Syria, Trump first argued that a US-led military alliance has routed Daesh terrorists there. Even though, he prods Arab countries into dispatching forces allegedly to keep stability there. If the troop suggestion were part of a clear-cut peace roadmap for Syria, then it would be plausible and even workable. But it isn't it. So, why should Arab forces be rushed into Syria, although stability there is far from attainable? They would not be peacekeepers. If Daesh terrorists have already been defeated there, who will the Arab troops fight? Al-Assad's allies, including Hizbollah and Iranians? Trump's proposal should be viewed against the backdrop of his ambivalent policy in Syria. He wants to leave Syria and at the same time keeps a footprint there in order to counter gains made by Russians, Al-Assad's major military ally.The game changer is fraught. Trump clearly believes that Arab allies can do the job for him and bankroll it at the same time. Should Arabs respond to this suggestion, the stakes would be high for a bloody showdown in Syria. For one thing, the Arab troops would be seen as an occupation force by Al-Assad's loyalists. Trump's tough line against Iran and its proxy Hizbollah group also underline his ill-conceived plan. He wants to undermine Iran's attempt to extend its influence through Syria in the region. The scheme also comes as Trump keeps the world on tenterhooks on whether he will pull out of the Iran nuclear deal – a decision he has set the weekend for announcing it. The Arabs have kept a low profile in Syria's conflict since it erupted more than seven years ago. It is high time, they got engaged and helped end the tragedy that has claimed an estimated 500,000 lives and displaced millions of people in the modern world's worst refugee crisis. Trump's idea is not the ideal formula for Arabs to help get Syria off the hook. It just makes matters worse – for Arabs.
