Muhammad Ali pulled his punches on presidential candidate Donald Trump and his ban on Muslims coming to the U.S., saying on Wednesday that political leaders should work to build a better understanding of Islam.
The former world heavyweight champion's comments, delivered in a statement, were more diplomatic than his boxing ring style of floating like a butterfly but stinging like a bee.
Ali, who joined the Nation of Islam in 1964 and later converted to Sunni Islam, according to
Reuters, didn't mention Trump by name but seemed to be directing his comments at Trump and others who support his ban on Muslims, noted
NBC News.
"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," Ali said in his statement.
Trump has been widely criticized since Monday when he issued a statement calling for the Muslim ban, said
CNN.
"Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on," the real estate mogul said in Monday's campaign release, per CNN.
Trump stated his position after last week's mass shooting in San Bernardino, California by "radicalized" sympathizers of the Islamic State. Previously, he had called for surveillance of mosques and said he was open to establishing a database for all Muslims living in the U.S., said CNN.
Ali said on Wednesday that Islamic jihadists do not represent 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," said Ali. "True Muslims know that the ruthless violence of so called Islamic jihadists goes against the very tenets of our religion."
The three-time world heavyweight champion, formerly known as Cassius Clay, called on fellow Muslims to speak out against terrorism in the name of their religion.
"We as Muslims have to stand up to those who use Islam to advance their own personal agenda," said Ali. "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."
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