Laila Ali, the daughter of the late Muhammad Ali, says she has found comfort in knowing her father is no longer struggling with Parkinson’s disease.
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At a Sunday evening memorial at the Louisville Islamic Center, speakers from many faiths – Muslims, Christians, Catholics, Jews – lamented that Ali’s death came at a time when political rhetoric is getting more divisive.
Ali’s family will hold a private ceremony Thursday.
“Muhammad Ali was a gift from God”, said Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, “not only to Muslims but to the world”.
Ali died Friday night at a Phoenix-area hospital of “septic shock due to unspecified natural causes”.
It was followed by a moving tribute from US President, Barack Obama, who said: “Muhammad Ali shook up the world”.
Dylan, who dabbled in boxing in his youth, has long looked to the sport for inspiration, from “Who Killed Davey Moore” to “Hurricane”, inspired by the boxer Rubin “Hurricane” Carter who was wrongfully convicted of murder.
If you only focus on Muhammad Ali the boxer then you miss half of his story, and possibly the most important parts.
“To all of Donald Trump’s supporters who think it is appropriate to tell us that they love Muhammad Ali but they hate Muslims, understand that Muhammad Ali was a devout Muslim who took his religion very seriously”, Sanders said.
The final revisions were made days before Ali died Friday in Arizona. He recalled Ali’s generosity in support of an anti-hunger program in the city.
Ali came to be widely revered, but there was a time when he was rejected, mostly by whites by also by some black leaders for his bold statements against white supremacy and for his refusal to embrace the model epitomized by Martin Luther King, a Christian.
“His legend will live on”, Spencer said, as a few young fighters worked out inside the gym, while outside some passers-by stopped to take photos of themselves near the large image of Ali that overlooks the front door. It is a sad day for the world of boxing.
The iconic athlete, who was also known for his humanitarian acts and for being outspoken against racism and prejudice, was 74-years-old. “She asked me where he is and I said he was in heaven”.
With tears in our eyes, we watched this now-frail bent figure, once bigger than life, the most recognized man on Earth, an icon to millions, a man who preached peace and understanding throughout the world, enter the hotel.
Tennis great Billie Jean King remembered Ali as fun to be around.
Seven years later, Dylan was in the Madison Square Garden crowd to witness what was billed as “the Fight of the Century”, a 1971 bout versus Joe Frazier that marked Ali’s first professional loss.
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“We all tried to stay strong and whispered in his ear, ‘You can go now”.
