Muhammad Ali sacrificed three years of his prime to protest racial injustices and the Vietnam War. Although he was one of the most influential political activists and athletes in history, his son Muhammad Ali Jr. is convinced his father would take objection to the Black Lives Matter movement.
During a conversation with the New York Post, Ali Jr. called Black Lives Matter "racist" and the protestors "devils." He claimed his father would support the controversial "All Lives Matter" stance.
"My father would have said, ‘They ain’t nothing but devils.’ My father said, ‘All lives matter.’ I don’t think he’d agree," his son explained. "It’s not just black lives matter, white lives matter, Chinese lives matter, all lives matter, everybody’s life matters. God loves everyone—he never singled anyone out. Killing is wrong no matter who it is."
The biggest flaw with Ali Jr.'s argument is assuming "Black Lives Matter" is a statement of racial superiority. Even though he claims "killing is wrong," Ali Jr. went on to say extreme violence should be waged against members of Antifa and Black Lives Matter supporters.
"They’re no different from Muslim terrorists. They should all get what they deserve. They’re fucking up businesses, beating up innocent people in the neighborhood, smashing up police stations and shops." he told the Post. "They’re terrorists—they’re terrorizing the community. I agree with the peaceful protests, but the Antifa, they need to kill everyone in that thing. ... Black Lives Matter is not a peaceful protest. Antifa never wanted it peaceful. I would take them all out."
Unfortunately, Muhammad Ali passed in 2016 so people will never know his true stance on the ongoing uprisings. Yet during his life, he made remarks that give the impression he would support the movement and be against killing people that look like him, as his son suggests.
"My conscience won’t let me go shoot my brother, or some darker people, or some poor hungry people in the mud for big powerful America," Ali said in 1966 when explaining why he would not join the Vietnam War. "And shoot them for what? They never called me n****r, they never lynched me, they didn’t put no dogs on me, they didn’t rob me of my nationality, rape and kill my mother and father."
His son isn't the only person who was close to Ali to say the boxing legend would be upset by today's protests. While talking to TMZ, Ali's ex-wife Khalilah—whom he was married to during his years of exile—said she's "glad Ali isn't here to see this."
"Muhammad would flip his switch. ... He would go off on everybody in here," she said. "I know that Ali would retaliate. He would really go off on people and I would love to see him romp and rave over these people hurting people, and burning up our businesses, and hurting people in the streets and burning up police cars."
