The unfair treatment of Muhammad Ali is not forgotten by his family

Mohamed AliAli’s incredible boxing career and legacy as an iconic athlete may not seem like much new, but there was a time when Ali wasn’t universally revered.

It seems hard to understand in the 2020s, but Ali was virtually shunned by American society in the 1960s because of his reluctance to participate in the Vietnam War.

It must be remembered that the 1960s were a time when sports stars were not the pampered individuals that many consider to be today’s icons. In the event of a military conflict involving the United States, they were expected to answer the call of duty.

AliHe was, however, one of the few to refuse, citing his own religious beliefs as the reason why he simply could not go abroad and participate in an armed conflict.

It was a decision that impacted his boxing career, and the WBA virtually attempted to ban him from the sport, which might have ensured that few modern boxers would hold Ali in the esteem in which they almost universally do.

These mistreatments have not been forgotten by AliAli’s family, even after his death, and in an upcoming PBS documentary about Ali’s life, this episode is described by those close to him.

What happened to Muhammad Ali in 1967?

With nearly 100 American soldiers dying every day, support for anti-war policies has grown. Meanwhile, the World Boxing Association has stripped Mohamed Ali of his heavyweight title because he refused to enlist in the Army for the Vietnam War.

His eldest daughter, Maryum Alirecently shared a lesser-known clip of his father, highlighting his fight against the system to stand up for his beliefs.

Muhammad Ali was more than an athlete after the Vietnam episode

Maryum Alia social activist, often posts quotes and photos of her father on social media. She shared a clip from the PBS documentary series by Ken Burns And Sarah Burns on his Instagram. In the video, a reporter asks Ali if he felt persecuted.

“If I am condemned because I am a Muslim, let it be because you hate to see a black man standing on his own two feet.” Ali answered.

“You tell the black world you never want to see an independent black man and that’s all you do, and it only makes me bigger.”

MarriedThe caption stated that the WBA had unfairly stripped him of his title, deeming him “unworthy of a champion.”

Ali was convicted of draft evasion, sentenced to five years in prison, fined $10,000, and banned from boxing for three years. He returned to the ring in October 1970.

Ali believed that it was unfair for a privileged nation like America to fight against people of color in a poor country.

“My conscience will not allow me to go shoot my brother, or darker people, or poor and hungry people in the mud for the great and powerful America.”