Muhammad Ali – The Real Face of Islam How he fought for Fairness

1. Muhammad Ali – The Real Face of Islam
And
How He Fought for Fairness
Black,Muslimand proud,MuhammadAli wonthe heavyweight title threetimesandbecame avoice for
blackand white Americanteens.Hisfather,ClaySenior, wasasignpainter, andhismother,Odessa
Grady Clay,wasa housewife.
Ali isnowhailedasa global icon,whose functionasa messengerof peace deepenedashisParkinson's
disorderdeprivedhimof hisphysical powers,the legendaryfighterturnedintoanoutspokenagitator.
He isoftensummedupas,“A championinthe ring, a herobeyondthe ring.”
Days afterreturningfromthe OlympicGames,Ali turnedintoeatinginaneatingplace withthe medal
swingingroundhisneckandhe was denied toorderbythe white restaurantowners.Ali thenthrewthe
goldmedal intothe OhioRiver.
PossiblyAli’sgreatestlegacyishisvoice.Ali’svoice become uncompromisinginitsBlackness.Hisvoice
was simplyasuncompromisinginitsrejectionof the trappingsof wealthandrepute,asitchanged into
withinthe rejectionof asystemthatunleashedGermanshepherdsonBlackchildren.Ali’svoice wasnot
seekingforpopularity.It justreallydemandedtobe heard.
He wasthe real face of Islamandshoweditprominentlyinmanyways,andfor that,he was courageous
enoughtorefuse tofightinVietnamforthe US Army.
Refusal tofightinVietnam:
In 1967, Ali broughtabout an additional sensation,byrefusingtofightinVietnam.He claimedhis
religiousidealsdidn’tallowhimandfamouslyblurtedouttonewshounds,"Iain'tgot no quarrel with
the Vietcong",turningintoa heroto youngerconscientiousobjectors.He wasarrestedforthis,hadhis
boxinglicensesuspended,andwasstrippedoff the heavyweightidentify.He wasnotable to fieldfor2
yearsevenasthe case wentto attraction.
He quoted,“If Ithoughtgoingto war wouldbringfreedom, justice,andequalitytothe 22 million
AmericanNegroesinAmerica,theywouldn’thave todraftme,and I’djointomorrow.”
On the trial,the jury,afteronly21 minutesof deliberation,foundAliguiltyanddecidedtoimpose the
maximumsentence.Afterthe decisionwasupheldatanenchantmenthearing,the case wenttothe U.S.
Supreme Court.In1970, banwas liftedandhe wasallowedtofightagain.
Aftera fewmonths,Ali slammedTrump'sproposal totemporarilybanall Muslimsfromgettingintothe
US after the Parisand San Bernardinoassaults.
He usedto saythat, “I believethatourpolitical leadersshoulduse theirpositiontobringunderstanding
aboutthe religionof Islam.”