Trump and Muhammad Ali together
Source: BBC
Boxing legend Muhammad Ali has criticised US Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump’s proposal to ban Muslims from entering America.
Without naming Mr Trump, Mr Ali said that Muslims “have to stand up to those who use Islam to advance their own personal agenda”.
The three-time world heavyweight champion, 73, is a cultural icon and one of the world’s most famous Muslims.
Mr Trump says he will never leave the race, despite widespread criticism.
The White House had said that his comments about Muslims “disqualified” him from running for the presidency.
‘Ruthless violence’
Mr Ali’s statement was directed at “presidential candidates proposing to ban Muslim immigration to the United States”.
“They have alienated many from learning about Islam,” he said.
Image copyrightPA
Image copyrightAFPThe former heavyweight champion also strongly criticised violence committed by jihadists from the Islamic State (IS) group.
“True Muslims know that the ruthless violence of so called Islamic Jihadists goes against the very tenets of our religion,” he said.
“These misguided murderers have perverted people’s views on what Islam really is.”
Facebook creator and CEO Mark Zuckerberg also expressed solidarity with Muslims in a Facebook post on Wednesday.
Categories: Americas, Islam, The Muslim Times, United States