Muhammad Ali hits out at Donald Trump over Muslim ban

AFP, Washington :Muhammad Ali rebuked Donald Trump over his call to ban Muslims from entering the United States, news reports said on Wednesday, as the boxing icon became just the latest high-profile name to lay into the presidential hopeful.Ali, a Muslim, did not mention the Republican frontrunner by name, but a statement by the former heavyweight champ — reported by NBC and ABC — appeared directed squarely at Trump.”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,” said the statement, referring also to recent terror attacks.Ali, 73, was somewhat thrust into the debate when President Barack Obama mentioned Muslims were US soldiers and citizens and sports heroes, and Trump challenged people to think of a Muslim sports hero.”I am a Muslim and there is nothing Islamic about killing innocent people in Paris, San Bernardino, or anywhere else in the world,” the statement attributed to Ali said.”True Muslims know that the ruthless violence of so-called Islamic jihadists goes against the very tenets of our religion.”An outspoken champion in his youth, Ali won the world heavyweight crown only to be banned from boxing for nearly four years in his prime for refusing to fight in the Vietnam War on religious grounds.He was found guilty of draft evasion but the Supreme Court overturned his conviction in 1971 and his fight made him an iconic figure well beyond the sports world. PTI adds: The popularity rating of controversial US presidential candidate Donald Trump continues to soar even though he is facing a global backlash for his call for a ban on the entry of Muslims into the country.As per the latest poll released yesterday by Fox News in the key swing State of South Carolina, Mr Trump leads with 35 per cent among Republican primary voters.Mr Trump’s nearest rival Ben Carson is a whopping 20 points behind with 15 per cent, followed by Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio with both receiving 14 per cent each.As per the national average compiled by RealClearPolitics.Com, Mr Trump, 69, has a popularity rating of 29.3 per cent against Mr Cruz’s 15.5 per cent.But Mr Trump continued to be slammed by his political opponents and leaders from his own political party, for his argument that Muslims be denied entry into the US.”Donald Trump – you know he does traffic in prejudice and paranoia. It’s not only shameful, it’s dangerous. So when he says he wants to stop all Muslims from entering the United States, that runs counter to what I and others who have actually been in the Situation Room, making hard choices, know we have to do,” Hillary Clinton, the leading Democratic presidential candidate said.”We have to enlist help from American Muslims, Muslims around the world in defeating the radical jihadists and the hateful ideology that they represent.