On Wednesday [December 9, 2015], champion boxer and devout Muslim Muhammad Ali issued a statement addressing the perception of Islam in recent times.
The former heavyweight champion of the world specifically had a response to presidential candidate Donald Trump’s call to temporarily ban all Muslims from entering the United States.
“I am a Muslim and there is nothing Islamic about killing innocent people in Paris, San Bernardino, or anywhere else in the world.”
Ali went on to denounce extremists who find themselves committing their heinous acts of violence in the name of Islam.
“True Muslims know that the ruthless violence of so called Islamic Jihadists goes against the very tenets of our religion.”
At 73, one of the world’s greatest icons still works to educate and inspire through activism. Despite a battle with a very limiting Parkinson’s disease, Ali does not cease to be an advocate for change and justice, and in his statement he challenged others to do the same.
“I believe that our political leaders should use their position to bring understanding about the religion of Islam and clarify that these misguided murderers have perverted people’s views on what Islam really is.”
