Muhammad Ali: The face of 'real Islam'

At a time when Muslims in the US are facing scorn and bigotry, the boxing legend is remembered as the face of Islam.

 

At a time when Muslims in America are facing scorn and bigotry, the late boxing legend Muhammad Ali should be remembered as the true, peaceful face of Islam, residents of his home town say.
Hundreds of people filed past his childhood home in Louisville on Sunday, now a museum dedicated to his remarkable life, to honour the three-time heavyweight champion known simply as "The Greatest".
Mourners left flowers and other mementos remembered his sporting prowess and his activism, but also spoke of Ali and his Muslim faith and how his example can help dispel stereotypes about Islam.
"With the stuff going on these days, most of the time, you see in the media there's a bad image of Muslims," said Hamza Shah, a doctor in Louisville, where Ali grew up and first started boxing.
"The one person we can definitely get a good image of was Muhammad Ali, and he portrayed what the real Islam is."