The story of Mohammad Ali: How Ali became symbol of resistance, hero of the world

Shams Ur Rehman Alavi

"I don't have to be what you want me to be, I am free to be what I want."

This earthshaking statement was made by Cassius Clay, who was just 22, a day after he became world heavyweight champion. He had changed his name to Muhammad Ali.

A black man had cocked a snook at White America and embraced Islam. America was outraged. Worse, on his side was Malcom X, the most demonised man in USA.

Soon Ali was to give another statement that was equally volcanic. It was Vietnam war and Ali had to go as a soldier to fight in Vietnam. What he said is now part of history.


THE GREAT REBEL: REFUSED TO FIGHT FOR AMERICA IN VIETNAM

Ali declared NOT to fight for America. " I don't got no quarrel with the Vietcong (I have no issues with the Vietnam people)". Ali was the most hated person in America now. Even black leaders criticised him.

Entire America was against him. Government wanted to persecute him. But he was unperturbed. Imagine, an individual standing against the 'nation'. But Ali was now a man who was above petty geographical boundaries. As a black, his community was victim of imperialism and he didn't want to be part of it.

[Excerpts from Sharda Ugra's article on Muhammad Ali and Mike Marqusee's book Redemption song: Muhammad Ali and the spirit of sixties]

PUT HIS CAREER ON RISK FOR HIS PRINCIPLES

Ali was hated but he stood for his people, race and humanity. He was against war. He was stripped off his title in America. He was victimised but he knew he was championing a greater cause. No one believed he would make a come back.

Ali said, "I am fighting for Allah, I am fighting for my people. I am not fighting for money and fame. I am not fighting for me". He risked everything in defying the draft [fighting in Vietnam].

While White America hated him, red carpets rolled for him across the world. Emperors, heads of states welcomed him in Africa, Asia.

World leaders like Nasser, Kwame Nkrumah honored him. He was part of the Islamic fraternity where colour of skin does not make any man superior or inferior.

Now, Ali was ruling hearts across the world. Millions chanted his name wherever he went. he became the hero of Asia and Africa.

He was the most potent symbol of black pride. When Ali denied to fight for Vietnam, no one in his place would have dared to do so.

ALI, A WORLD ICON, HERO OF THE OPPRESSED

Ali became a world icon. He was stripped of his world champion belt but, finally, there were voices in his support. He lost precious years but was again back in ring after three  years. In 1974, the old Muhammad Ali came back to right, to fight undefeated George Foreman, 24.

Ali was now old by the boxing standards but he was fighting for his race, his people..

About Foreman, he said, "He represented America, the flag, I can not afford to lose. I did not fight in Vietnam when I was young. Why should I, they treat  blacks as dogs here and me not going to Vietnam".

After six rounds, Ali was again the world champion. Finally, Ali was an American hero too.

In 1996, US made amends for its past mistakes. A Parkison's stricken Muhammad Ali lit the Olympic flame and America accepted it's greatest hero.

[This article includes excerpts from Sharda Ugra's article on Muhammad Ali and Mike Marqusee's book Redemption song: Muhammad Ali and the spirit of sixties. Full credit to Sharda Ugra, the well-known sports writer and Mike Marquesee]

Greatest sporting icons Muhammad Ali, Pele and Sobers: Heroes of an Indian sports lover; coincidence all three of them are black!

In a conversation with a friend over the greatest sports icons, I instantly took names of three names--Muhammad Ali, Pele and Sobers.

The names just came out without giving much thought. In fact, I later thought over it again, but I couldn't find anyone else who fits in this league.

When I and those in my generation (who were born in seventies and began appreciating sports in the 1980s), these three sports stars were already icons for decades. We grew up with elders talking about them and reading about their heroics.

For the sports crazy, it's an exhilarating thought, something not easy to explain, that one just feels happy with the thought we have lived in this era and have the honour to see the sports persons. All of them are now septuagenarians.

Icons--they are in an altogether different league, those who are simply incomparable with other players or sports stars. In other sports, like Tennis, you may have Rod Laver, Bill Tilden, Don Budge or the Jordans and Johnsons, in Basketball, but none of them come close to my idea of an icon.

You may personally love a McEnroe or Roger Federer or more, but icons are different. An icon is an sportsperson who not only enthralls the world but inspires entire generations with their actions, both on and off the field, and the mention of whose name evokes respect.

While Pele and Ali are great sportsmen, for the cricket crazy Gary Sobers evokes similar respect and passion.

In our childhood, we heard that there was the incomparable Sir Don [Bradman], who hit 29 centuries in 52 tests, with an average of over 99.

But it was Sobers, who was almost an equal legend, in the second half of the 20th century.

Garfield St Auburn Sobers excelled in every sphere of the game. He amassed over 8,000 runs in his test cricket with more than 200 wickets, apart from nearly 100 catches, and his impact on cricket world was tremendous. For ages, his 365* was the highest individual innings of a batsman.

And, in the twilight of his career, it was he alone who could score 254 and demolish Dennis Lille, who was in his prime. Boxing legend Ali had the guts to speak up and take a strong [and highly controversial in those days] stand on the Vietnam war.

It is a strange coincidence that all these three icons are black. In the era when Apartheid existed [till late 80s in South Africa], they were role models and heroes for youths and sports lovers across the world. Ali is now 72, Pele is 74, and Sobers, 78.

Like Ali, Sobers and Pele also played an important role in confronting the racial prejudices and the idea of White supremacy. Great men, inspirational figures and statesmen, there is no one close to them in the world of sports.

Long Live, Pele, Ali and Sobers, my heroes.

READ: Story of Muhammad Ali, how he became symbol of resistance and hero of the world

Story of Malik Shabazz alias Malcolm X: Muslim hero, leader of African-Americans and Blacks across the world

February 21 was the day El-Hajj Malik Shabazz alias Malcolm X was shot dead. He was just 39.

From a drug-peddler to a member of Nation of Islam and a fighter against apartheid, his story is fascinating and inspiring.

'White Americans' hated this Black Musim for his straightforwardness, conviction and absolute fearlessness.

No wonder, this rebel leader of Black Muslims was a described by American publication as the 'most feared man in US' then.

For years I longed to read his autobiography which is described by the Time as among the ten most influential non-fiction books of the 20th century.

I had heard about Malcolm X alias Detroit Red mostly from articles and books which mentioned Muhammad Ali.

Malcolm X was an important person in the life of Ali. Mike Marquesee's book Redemption Song brought more of the Black Movement to me. Finally I got the autobiography a few months back and read it in one sitting.

It tells his entire story. That how Malcolm Little who was born in 1925 in Nebraska, and who worked as shoe-shiner and a drug delaer to earn living and ultimately landed in jail where he turned towards Islam.

After release he joined Elijah Mohammad's controversial organisation Nation of Islam. He rejected his surname as many black converts who did not know the surname of their ancestors and were brought as slaves to America and made Christians but never given the status of a fellow human being.

The Fearless Malcolm X

His powerful presence and oratory skills stunned the audiences. Malcolm X feared none. He could speak of white man's hypocrisy in his face and expressed his views publicly.

His statement on Kennedy's death that 'Chickens coming home to roost never make me sad, rather it makes me glad' shocked the nation. But he was getting marginalised within the NOI. Malcolm X felt that allegations about Elijah's sexual life had substance.

Meanwhile, he embarked on Haj and for the first time saw people in Europe and Middle-East who treated him as their own without any distinction of colour and race that was still prevalent in US.

He returned from Haj as a Sunni Muslim. He visited Africa, interacted with world leaders and all this broadened his perspective. All this coincided with Muhammad Ali's rise as world champion.

It was his influence that Cassius Clay became Muhammad Ali. Malcolm X had survived many attacks on hif life but on February 21 when he was addressing a gathering of 400, luck ran him out.

Malcolm's death was reported in papers across the world, as far as in Lucknow, Bengalore and Karachi the Urdu papers published the obituary of this brave man who inspired thousands to fight apartheid. Editorials were written in newspapers in far-East and Africa.

The autobigoraphy was penned by Alex Haley who met Malcolm on a regular basis for years and during those sessions Malcolm told him his story.

TEN MOST INSPIRING QUOTES OF MALCOLM X