Clerics in Algeria “Ignored” Death of Former World Boxing Champion Muhammad Ali

Dr. Abderazak Guessoum, President of the Association of Algerian Muslim Scholars, has denied in a phone conversation with “Echorouk” that the religious Association has ignored the news of the death of the late world boxing legend Muhammad Ali, stressing that a special obituary to the deceased will be published in the Monday edition of the Association’s magazine called “Al Bassair”.

Dr. Guessoum underlined that as Muslims, we can’t ignore this late legendary boxer, who had served the religion of Islam as well as the enhancement of civil rights and human values during his lifetime.

Dr Guessoum, considered the man’s demise as a global event, saying the Muslims have to pray Allah Almighty to have mercy on his soul, adding that a large number of people around the world and with on focus Muslims had identified to this late outstanding sportsman who had converted to Islam heartily and thereby changed in the sixties his name to Muhammad Ali from previously Cassius Clay because of his utter fondness for the lofty religion of Islam.

Lots of people including statesmen, politicians, sportsmen and sportswomen as well as artists and celebrities around the world paid a warm tribute to late Muhammad Ali, saying in their messages of condolence that the latter had fought the most vicious distortions of the very timber of our humanity – hypocrisy, racism, militarism – with a noble anger he tucked inside his sublime sense of humour.

Even when he was punching his rivals in the ring, he was doing it with grace and poetry. He danced for his opponent like a ballerina, sang for him like a lyricist, and before they knew what hit them, they were knocked out. 

He emerged from the depth of an entire history of spiteful racism and slavery in the United States to redefine what it means to be American. There was the whole gamut of militarism, racism, and conquest on one side and on this side was Ali and all he represented, contesting what it means to be American.

Late Muhammad Ali made the Civil Rights and anti-war movement in the US proverbial to the world at large. From the heart of Africa to the depths of Latin America, from the Arab and Muslim world to continental divides of Eurasia – he first conquered the heart of his fans and then sat down gently like a caring gardener and planted the seed of justice and fairness inside those hearts. 

The death of Muhammad Ali does not leave a hole observers say, but fills a whole spectrum of consciousness we had become too familiar with to see and sense. His sudden departure ignites and enlightens that space.