British man trolled by Turks for criticising football fans drinking alcohol in Istanbul

British national and editor of London-based Islamist news website 5 Pillars, Roshan Salih, was schooled by Turks on Twitter over his latest tweet criticising football fans for consuming alcohol in Turkey, which he said is "a Muslim nation". 

Manchester City won the UEFA Champions League title beating Inter Milan. As is the tradition worldwide, football and alcohol are inseparable among fans. The match was held in Istanbul, Turkey, on Saturday night. And so of course there were legions of fans on Turkey's streets boozing and celebrating.

What Roshan Salih said:

Roshan Salih, whose only claim to fame is his extremist views on Islam on Twitter with just about 18,000 followers, decided to give his two cents on football fans celebrating in Turkey (not even the country where he lives). 

• Salih said that fans drinking alcohol in Turkey disgusted him. 
• He also said that Turkey is a Muslim nation (not true, we'll come back to this) and alcohol should be banned. 
• Furthermore, he said that fans should respect "the culture of a Muslim nation" and refrain from booze. 
• In another tweet he said that Istanbul was once "the seat of the great Islamic caliphate for centuries" and now it sees "hordes of drunken football fans".

• There are several issues with the statement he made. And Turkish Twitter users were quick to point out their "irritation" with Salih's comments. 
• One Twitter user said that alcohol is sold and consumed everywhere in Turkey and even at times during Ramadan. 

• Another user proudly invited foreigners to come and have a beer with Turks in Turkey, "the regional birthplace of beer, wine, and many other delicious liqueurs". 

• First of all, Turkey is not a Muslim nation; it is a secular country with a Muslim majority. The country is not ruled by any religious law. 
• Secondly, yes, alcohol is very much legal in Turkey for both tourists and Turks. And like several netizens pointed out, Turks have their own alcohol traditions. In fact, Turkey has its own national drink which is alcoholic - Raki. 

Alcohol in Islam

• Alcohol is considered 'haram' or forbidden in Islam, the basis for Roshan Salih's "irritation". However, imposing these views on football fans foreign and locals alike in Turkey makes no sense given that the country itself doesn't place any such restriction and that Salih doesn't even live in Turkey. 

• Salih also criticised Qatar for allowing alcohol during the World Cup 2022. Qatar had initially allowed the sale and consumption of alcohol at stadiums but later changed the rules to only limit alcohol to certain places away from public view, given the local anti-alcohol culture.

Turkey, Islam and alcohol

• On the other hand in Turkey, the Erdogan government has been ramping up restrictions on the once fiercely secular country, with a focus on Islam. 
• The Turkish government banned alcohol sales during the Ramadan period this year. 

[ALSO READ: Erdogan is President of Turkey, once again. What do these 20 years of his rule mean for Europe?]

Roshan Salih's extremist views:

Alcohol in a Muslim-majority country is not the only thing irritating Brit Roshan Salih. He's also very upset at the Pride Month celebrations around the world and in London. 

• All of Roshan Salih's recent tweets have been reeking of anti-LGBTQIA+ tirades. He said the Pride Month celebrations and the public display of the rainbow flag are imposing the ideology on the "majority" of others who don't share the same views.

• A tweet where Salih said that Britain was imposing pro-LGBTQIA+ ideology on those who don't share the same views, got a response from another Twitter user asking what are churches and mosques meant to do. 

• Salih also called London Mayor Sadiq Khan a sell-out for supporting and recognising the rights of LGBTQIA+ community members. 

• There are many other questionable tweets made by Roshan Salih including one where he says Christianity is a false religion. 

• Camera UK, which describes itself as a committee for accuracy in Middle East reporting and analysis, found that much of Salih's tweets and his news site 5 Pillars espoused pro-Taliban content during the US withdrawal. It has also been accused of propagating anti-Semitic views. 

[ALSO READ: Attack on Salman Rushdie: Why is The Satanic Verses so controversial?]