Around 14000 people converged on Louisville to say farewell to Muhammad Ali, one of the most popular and revered figures across the world, who passed away last Friday.
The Islamic funeral service, called Jenaza, was attended by the legendary boxer’s fans from around the world including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Jalil Abbas Jilani, Ambassador of Pakistan, where Ali is a household name, was among those who attended the farewell prayer for the champ.
Thousands more will gather for an interfaith service on Friday, in a fitting tribute to Ali’s appeal, advocacy and fight for equality and inclusiveness.
To many, bidding farewell to Ali, however big a loss, is also a celebration of the momentous achievements that the champ pulled off as a social activist, a boxer and an influential political voice and a hero who inspired and motivated people around the world to have faith in the good that human beings can do to their fellow beings.
Photo via Wikimedia commons
Inside the ring, Ali reigned as “the greatest” champion at a time which is called the golden age of boxing.
But outside the ring it was also a tumultuous time in the United States, when the unpopular Vietnam war evoked mixed emotions. Ali’s refusal to draft for the war in 1967 as conscientious objector made him an instant global icon, his popularity and argument for peace and racial equality sweeping across the developing world, particularly among oppressed communities.
Beginning in 1980s, Parkinson’s disease stole the champ’s brisk pace and physical alacrity. But he began devoting a lot of time to humanitarian activities.
Ambassador Jilani representing Pakistan in prayer for Muhammad Ali in Louisville Kentucky Photo : Pakistan Embassy
Years after criticism of Ali’s refusal to fight on behalf of the United States, the world saw value in his stances, as the war went awry after much loss of life on both sides. Today Vietnam is a partner of the United States.
In 1996, in a moment of glory, Ali lit the Olympic flame at the start of the Atlanta Olympics, and in 2005 President George W Bush awarded him the highest US Presidential Medal of Freedom, calling him “the greatest of all time.” The honors bestowed upon Ali by the state, the society and the international community, recognized the steadfastness and validity of his convictions for peace and brotherhood – an inextinguishable spirit of humanity.
One of the greatest contributions Ali made to the American society was his lending a powerful voice to African Americans during the civil right era. His emphasis on black is beautiful and black is best infused a new spirit and confidence among African Americans.
In fact, Ali achieved so much in a short span that the world is still in awe as to how one man could have achieved so much in so little time.
In a speech on the passing away of Ali, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer captured the awe, wonder and tribute of countless millions, who wonder about the epic achievements of Muhammad Ali.
“Muhammad Ali lived a life so big and bold, it’s hard to believe that any one man could do everything he did, could be all the things that he became in the course of just one lifetime,” Fischer said, as Louisville, the champ’s hometown, began to say goodbye to Ali, the local hero and the global icon.
