After Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump called for a ban on Muslims entering the United States many criticized the idea and on Wednesday, boxing legend Muhammad Ali weighed in on that and the Islamic religion.
NBC News noted that Ali, known as Cassius Clay before he converted to Islam in the 1960s, did not mention Trump by name but issued a lengthy statement directed at "presidential candidates” proposing such a ban. The 73-year-old also blasted the “murderers” he says are sabotaging the religion.
“I am a Muslim and there is nothing Islamic about killing innocent people in Paris, San Bernardino, or anywhere else in the world,” Ali said. “True Muslims know the ruthless violence of so-called Islamic Jihadists goes against the very tenets of our religion … We, as Muslims, have to stand up to those who use Islam to advance their own personal agenda. They have alienated many from learning about Islam. True Muslims know or should know that it goes against our religion to try and force Islam on anybody.
“Speaking as someone who has never been accused of political correctness, 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.”
In a speech Sunday night President Barack Obama said "Muslim Americans are our friends and our neighbors, our co-workers, our sports heroes."
When Trump questioned which “sports heroes” he was referring to many brought up Ali, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Detroit Lions running back Ameer Abdullah and Mike Tyson, who previously said he was a Trump supporter.