Boxing giant Muhammad Ali condemns US prez candidate Donald Trump's venomous comments on Muslims

Ali (right), showed that he can still pack a punch without even swinging

Donald Trump’s list of critics and enemies grows longer and longer. A few days after he demanded “a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on”, he was dumped by his real estate partners from Dubai and “disqualified” by the White House from running for President.

One of the world’s most famous Muslims has now joined the chorus of protest against him. Former three-time World Heavyweight Champion and arguably the greatest boxer of all time, Muhammad Ali, has made a statement alluding to “presidential candidates proposing to ban Muslim immigration to the United States”, that “Muslims have to stand up to those who use Islam to advance their own personal agenda.”

Born Cassius Clay, Ali converted to Islam in the 60s, shortly after shocking the world and defeating Sonny Liston. As an athlete whose trash talking was as big a part of his appeal as his in-ring skills, Ali caught the attention of millions during his heyday.

“The People’s Champion”, now 73 and ailing with Parkinson’s disease, has shown that he still has a way with words, saying that people like Trump “have alienated many from learning about Islam”.

Ali also denounced ISIS’ jihadist war and atrocities, saying, “True Muslims know that the ruthless violence of so called Islamic Jihadists goes against the very tenets of our religion. These misguided murderers have perverted people's views on what Islam really is.”

He also went on to say that there was “nothing Islamic about killing innocent people in Paris, San Bernardino, or anywhere else in the world”, according to BBC Sports.

Other luminaries have also come out and stated that the actions of a deluded few do not warrant prejudice against the many, including Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The founder of one of the world’s biggest corporations had this to say after the recent Paris attacks: “After the Paris attacks and hate this week, I can only imagine the fear Muslims feel that they will be persecuted for the actions of others.

“As a Jew, my parents taught me that we must stand up against attacks on all communities. If you're a Muslim in this community, as the leader of Facebook I want you to know that you are always welcome here and that we will fight to protect your rights.”

Inspite of the fact that the masses are aghast at Donald Trump’s statements, he continues to be the lead horse amongst the Republican presidential nominees. Even more disconcerting is the fact that a recent poll found that 68% of his supporters would vote for him even if he left the party and ran as an independent candidate.