[국제]모하멛 알리 75세로 운명: 인종차별, 전쟁반대한 미국 첫 모슬렘 영웅
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작성자 편집실 작성일16-06-05 02:54 조회4,623회 댓글1건관련링크
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사춘기가 시작되던 10대초에 아마추어 권투선수로 활약하기 시작했던 알리는 드디어 1960년 로마올림픽에서 영광의 골드메달(금메달)을 쟁취하면서 그의 명성은 전세계에 알려졌다.
이러한 시기에 미국의 흑인 민권운동진영 지도자들인 맬컴 엑스를 만나게 되어 이슬람교로 개종하고 그의 이름을 무하마드 알리로 쓰기 시작했다. 그의 아마추어 명성은 다시 프로권투세계로 옮겨갔다. 프로세계에서도 초반에 무려 3차례에 걸쳐 헤비급 챔피언의 영예를 쟁취했다. 이 우승자의 자리를 지키는데에도 무려 19번 방어전을 승리로 이끌어 1960년대에서 1984년 파킨슨병에 거리기 전까지는 프로권투세계에서는 그의 실력을 추종하는 인물이 없을 정도로 세계적 권투선수로 자리매김 해왔던 세기적 인물이었다.
그는 또한 1960년대 중반 베트남 전쟁 참가통지서를 받았으나 이를 거부하고 반전평화의 소리를 외친 반전평화적 철학을 지닌 운동선수로 밝혀지자 1967년 프로권투계에서 선수권 타이틀들을 박탁당하는가 하면 프로선수로서의 자격권마져 빼앗기는 수난을 받은 적도 있었다. 그 이후 3년만인 1970년 그 수난을 극복시키고 프로권투세계에 다시 들어와 활동했다. 그는 특히 1974년 또다른 흑인 권투선수인, 조지 포먼과 세계타이틀 경기를 통해 그를 경기 중반에 쓸어트려 세계 챔피언의 영예를 회복했다. 연합뉴스는 그의 프로 통산 전적을 56승(37KO) 5패라고 소개했다.
연합뉴스 기자는 그와 관련하여 "나비처럼 날아서 벌처럼 쏘겠다(Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee)"는 그가 1964년 2월 25일 마이애미비치 컨벤션 홀에서 WBA/WBC통합 챔피언인 소니 리스턴에게 도전해 승리하기 전 인터뷰에서 한 말로, 복싱의 전설이 된 그를 늘 따라다닌 수식어였다."고 소개하며 "그는 화려했던 복서 생활은 물론이고 인종차별과 싸운 복서로서도 많은 일화를 남겼다."고 설명하기도 했다.
그는 또 1960년 로마올림픽에서 금메달을 딴 뒤 식당에서 인종차별을 당하자 메달을 강에 던져버렸다고 한다. 국제올림픽위원회(IOC)는 1996년 애틀랜타올림픽 남자 농구 결승전 하프타임 때 그에게 다시 금메달을 수여했다고 기록되어 있다.
Ali: America’s First Muslim Hero No community will miss Muhammad Ali more than Muslim Americans. Why do I say that? Simple: Ali was more than a sports figure or a celebrity to our community. He was a source of pride to so many Muslim Americans for so many different reasons.
On a personal note, I had an opportunity to meet Ali when I performed stand-up comedy at the Arab American Institute’s annual gala in 2004 where Ali was receiving a lifetime achievement award. Ali gave a speech that night was touching, inspiring and funny. While he spoke at a slower pace than the Ali who boasted he could “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee,” the three-time champion was still riveting. He shared some jokes and noted that when he converted to Islam and changed his name from Cassius Clay, he felt as if Muslims worldwide had become his brothers.
Ali’s spiritual journey to Islam began in 1964 when, with the mentorship of his then close friend Malcolm X, he joined the Nation of Islam. At the time NOI was more focused on being a black nationalistic movement and less about following the tenets of mainstream Islam.
But by 1975, Ali left NOI and became a part of Sunni Islam, the most popular sect of the religion. In 1989, Ali went on a pilgrimage to Mecca, fulfilling one of the five pillars of Islam. And in 2005, as his daughter explained, Ali embraced Sufi Islam, which is a more spiritual sect of the faith.
But Ali was right in that he had become a brother to Muslims worldwide after he converted. I saw that firsthand when I reached out to a diverse group of Muslim Americans from a member of Congress to a TV host to community activists to get their reaction to Ali’s death.
Indonesian-born and now New York City-based Imam Shamsi Ali shared a sentiment felt by many: that Ali was “our hero and our pride.… not only a boxing champion, but also a hero of social justice and human equality.”
Congressman Andre Carson (D-Ind.), who like Ali converted to Islam as an adult, commented that “Muhammad Ali served as an example of service and self-sacrifice for generations of Muslim Americans.”
Others like comedian and activist Maysoon Zayid, who has cerebral palsy, admired Ali, who suffered from Parkinson’s, for another reason: “Muhammad Ali was my first disabled role model.” She added, “the fact he was a champ and Muslim just made me love him more.”
To many African-American Muslims I spoke with, Ali offered a connection in terms of both faith and race. Kameelah Rashad, the Muslim chaplain at the University of Pennsylvania remarked, “as descendants of enslaved Africans, great individuals like Muhammad Ali remind us of the enduring resilience, faith and joy of our ancestors.” Rashad noted poignantly, “Ali remains for me a symbol of what it means to be unapologetically Black and Muslim in America.”
Comedian Preacher Moss declared that “Muhammad Ali was is in the lineage of Malcolm X and MLK. He was truly a shining and enduring example of Black Manhood.”
And Margari Aziza, co-founder of the Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative, learned about Ali’s Muslim faith while learning more about her own black identity. Aziza noted, “To have such a central figure in American sports history be unabashedly Black and Muslim meant so much for so many of us.” She also credited Ali for helping Americans become more accustomed to the name Mohammad. Aziza noted the fact his name was Muhammad “made the lives of kids in America whose parents named them Muhammad a little easier.”
Other Muslim Americans praised Ali for his daring stand in 1967 of refusing to fight in Vietnam War citing his “consciousness as a Muslim minister and my own personal convictions.” Consequently, Ali’s heavyweight title was stripped and he was criminally prosecuted.
Ali, said Dawud Walid, a U.S. Navy veteran and currently the head of CAIR’s Detroit office, “stood for his religious principles when it was extremely unpopular during the Vietnam War era, literally sacrificing his boxing title and wealth to oppose unjust bloodshed.”
Salam Al-Marayati, president of the Muslim Public Affairs Council echoed that sentiment noting that Ali’s “heroism was not just demonstrated in the boxing ring, but it was also seen in his stand against the Vietnam War.” Adding, “That is the hero I will always remember. That is the American Muslim who is an example for all Americans.”
Even Muslims who didn’t grow up in the United States felt a connection to Ali. For example, MSNBC anchor and NBC News Foreign Correspondent Ayman Mohyeldin, who was born and raised in Egypt explained that, “Even before I moved to the US, I was always inspired by Muhammad Ali the boxer.” Mohyeldin added, “But the more time I spent in America growing up, the more I was inspired by Muhammad Ali, the person. He has reminded us all the power of standing up for our beliefs and fighting for our convictions despite the hate and in the face of so much misunderstandings and challenges.”
Many, including myself, had wished so many times that Ali would have been physically strong enough in the post 9/11 world to have served as a more visible leader in the fight against anti-Muslim bigotry. True in December Ali released a statement slamming Donald Trump’s proposed ban of over one billion from Muslims from entering the United States.
But if Ali had been able to deliver that statement and others like it with his unique flair and charisma, it could’ve had a great impact in countering misconceptions about Muslims. In fact, in his 2005 book, “The Soul of a Butterfly,” Ali revealed that he had wanted to become the “Muslim Billy Graham” but his Parkinson made that impossible. Who knows what Ali could’ve accomplished in terms of building bridges between American Muslims and the rest of our nation if he had been healthy after hanging up his gloves.
Ali was truly the greatest in the ring. But to Muslims, he was more than that. He was our brother. |
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멋진인생 작성일삼가 고인의 명복을 빕니다~!!!! 무함마드 알리 당신을 영원히 잊지않을겁니다~!!!!