23
Diplomatic Legend of Muhammad Ali
Written by Jeannette Viens
Thousands from around the country and across the world gathered for this Jenazah, a traditional Muslim funeral prayer service. The service has readings from an Imam as well as a pastor, rabbi, and reverend. It is not only a mourning for the departed, but a celebration of interfaith relations.
It is the funeral of Muhammed Ali.
Known for his impeccable boxing career, Muhammed Ali is an American athlete turned hero, who came to be revered by the American public despite falling under categories of the two most oppressed peoples in the country: black men and Muslims. At a time when race relations are increasingly tense and violent, and Islamophobia is rampant and even tolerated by some political leaders, it is important to remember Muhammed Ali for more than his athletic achievements. He was more than a boxing legend. He was a true proponent of his beliefs and a diplomatic icon. There are some who will try to overlook Ali’s faith and his role in promoting peaceful perspectives of Islam and creating global connections. However, as Arash Markazi of ESPN stated, “to ignore Muhammed Ali as a Muslim is to ignore Muhammed Ali as a man.” Despite being known for his boxing, Ali considered being a Muslim the most important part of his identity and used his sporting fame throughout his life to influence interfaith opinions and connections.
Muhammed Ali was not only “The Greatest” inside of the boxing ring, but also a legend in his faith, using his influence throughout his lifetime to inform America of the Islamic practice and pursue interfaith connections. As the man himself said, “I set out on a journey of love, seeking truth, peace, and understanding. I am still learning.”
Interfaith diplomacy is an important soft power tool, connecting people of various backgrounds through faith and helping to foster understanding among different beliefs. Ali’s dedication to his faith, though it made him a controversial figure in US history at times, created a voice for the Muslim population among the American Christian majority and marked him as a global spiritual icon. As one ESPN headline read, Ali was a “champion of his faith until the end.”
Muhammed Ali converted from Christianity to Islam shortly after the 1960 Rome Olympics and was first associated with the Nation of Islam, an African American Islamic religious affiliation whose stated goals are to improve the social spiritual mental and economic conditions of African American in the US. It was during this time that he dubbed Cassius Clay his “slave name”, changing it briefly to Cassius X Clay before being given the name Muhammed Ali by the Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad.
However, his alignment to the group made Ali a target of public condemnation, given that the teachings of the Nation of Islam have an anti-integration stance which often spoke of the white