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Muhammad Ali v. George W. Bush
http://netwmd.com ^ | November 29, 2005 | Daniel Pipes

Posted on 11/29/2005 7:43:12 AM PST by forty_years

George W. Bush honored the boxer, Muhammad Ali, and 13 others with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, called "the nation's highest civilian award," on November 9 at the White House. The president praised Ali for his sports accomplishments and called him "The Greatest of All Time."

Fine, but he then proceeded to laud Ali's character: "The real mystery, I guess, is how he stayed so pretty. It probably had to do with his beautiful soul. He was a fierce fighter and he's a man of peace. … Across the world, billions of people know Muhammad Ali as a brave, compassionate, and charming man, and the American people are proud to call Muhammad Ali one of our own."

In this giddy, fawning statement, Mr. Bush did not, the Washington Post astringently noted, "mention Ali's very public opposition to the Vietnam War, which led the prizefighter to lose his boxing license for three years when he refused to serve in the Army." Worse, his refusal to fight was not because he was "a man of peace" but rather because his allegiance was to the stridently anti-American, anti-white organization known as the Nation of Islam, headed by the malign Elijah Muhammad.

Forty years ago, Ali explained his draft evasion: "War is against the teachings of the Holy Koran. I'm not trying to dodge the draft. We are supposed to take part in no wars unless declared by Allah or The Messenger [i.e., Elijah Muhammad]. We don't take part in Christian wars or wars of any unbelievers." A draft evader, incidentally, is particularly ill-suited to receive the Medal of Freedom, which was created in 1945 to recognize "notable service" in World War II.

The president also did not touch on Ali's religious side, but Mark Kram did in his 2001 book, Ghosts of Manila: The Fateful Blood Feud between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier: "Ali broke every tenet of real Muslim law, from whoring to being truant at Temple service; he was a religious fake who abdicated his personal worth to the Black Muslims for their expediency and draft evasion, [and was] therefore, counterfeit down to his socks."

As he aged, Ali did become more devout, but in unfortunate directions. He declared himself against "the entire power structure" in America, which he declared was run by Zionists who "are really against the Islam religion." He became so radical a Muslim that the notorious Council on American-Islamic Relations, North America's most powerful Islamist group, also honored him with an award in June 2004. As its press release stated: "Ilyasah Shabazz, the daughter of Malcolm X, presented the first Malcolm X award to Muhammad Ali."

(Ali was spectacularly ill-suited for this award too. Malcolm X had served as his role model until 1964, but when Elijah Muhammad ejected Malcolm X from the Nation of Islam, Ali ignored Malcolm X's entreaties and turned viciously against him. He threw Malcolm X away, in the words of journalist Sunni Khalid, "like a pork chop.")

Mr. Bush's praise for Ali's compassion, charm, and beautiful soul are horribly misplaced (as were large donations from General Electric and Ford to the hagiographic "Ali Center" that opened days later in Louisville, Ky.). Ali's unvarnished legacy is an exploitative personality, sordid career, vicious politics, and extremist religion.

Mr. Bush himself got an unexpected glimpse of the real Ali during their brief White House encounter. I'll let the Washington Post describe the incident:

Bush, who appeared almost playful, fastened the heavy medal around Muhammad Ali's neck and whispered something in the heavyweight champion's ear. Then, as if to say "bring it on," the president put up his dukes in a mock challenge.

Ali, 63, who has Parkinson's disease and moves slowly, looked the president in the eye—and, finger to head, did the "crazy" twirl for a couple of seconds. The room of about 200, including Cabinet secretaries, tittered with laughter. Ali, who was then escorted back to his chair, made the twirl again while sitting down.

And the president looked visibly taken aback, laughing nervously. Was Ali making a political statement?

Awarding of the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Muhammad Ali gratuitously celebrated a man profoundly opposed to Mr. Bush's own, his party's, and the country's principles. It represents, I submit, the nadir of his presidency.

http://netwmd.com/blog/2005/11/29/185


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: ali; antisemite; bush; cair; cassiusclay; danielpipes; draftdodger; freedom; george; islaminamerica; jihad; jihadist; medal; muhammad; notapeacemovement; opposition; presidential; trop; vietnam; vietnamwar; war
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To: ChadGore

Thats a great beat down!


21 posted on 11/29/2005 8:04:36 AM PST by Delta 21 (MKC USCG-ret)
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To: forty_years

Cut & Run = Coward!

Opt out (Draft Dodging) = Coward!

'nuf said.


22 posted on 11/29/2005 8:05:58 AM PST by Retired COB (Still mad about Campaign Finance Reform)
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To: forty_years

I remember a few years ago, that the widow of Malcolm X, began speaking of his murder by Elijah Muhammid. It may have been his daughter, but within days of making the charge, she began praising the Black Muslims and Calypso Louie. Does anyone have any skinny on this?


23 posted on 11/29/2005 8:06:39 AM PST by jeremiah (People wake up, the water is getting hot)
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To: indcons

He was also an amazing personality: incredibly magnetic - a master psychologist who destroyed his opponents before he ever stepped into the ring - spectacularly quick-witted - very, very charming. It took great (if misguided) courage for him to stand up against the war in Vietnam. It cost him 3 1/2 years in the prime of his career. How many of us have done the same? Given up our livelihood for 3 1/2 years? For better or worse, Ali changed the landscape of celebrity and athletics forever. For the past forty years, childish thugs without his gifts have aped his antics.


24 posted on 11/29/2005 8:08:07 AM PST by karnage
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Comment #25 Removed by Moderator

To: Ronaldus Magnus Reagan

Clay was a better boxer than clinton was a president


26 posted on 11/29/2005 8:13:21 AM PST by al baby (Father of the beeber)
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To: RockinRight
Mr. President, stop kissing Islam's a$$, please.

Any chance you could get him to get on the right side of the Kosovo conflict? Giving al Qaeda one more European base of operations is a bad move all around.

27 posted on 11/29/2005 8:13:22 AM PST by FormerLib (Kosova: "land stolen from Serbs and given to terrorist killers in a futile attempt to appease them.")
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To: Retired COB

well.. at least he didn't leave the country and burn his draft card... then again, if he had, he may have been elected president in '92


28 posted on 11/29/2005 8:15:54 AM PST by sten
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To: armydawg1

Just wait until President Hillary (on what will be her third term as co-President, first elected) awards the Medal of Freedom to Jane Fonda...


29 posted on 11/29/2005 8:17:49 AM PST by weegee (Christmas - the holiday that dare not speak its name.)
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To: sasafras

Bush's comments about Ali make me sick. Ali was a draft dodger and disgraced his country. He also made sickening racist comments directed to Joe Frazier who was a far better man than Ali.

Giving Ali the medal of Freedom is cruel joke on all those truly deserving of the award.


30 posted on 11/29/2005 8:18:15 AM PST by MBB1984
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To: AppyPappy
"War is against the teachings of the Holy Koran"

...and pork dinners are encouraged by the Koran.

31 posted on 11/29/2005 8:19:43 AM PST by keithtoo (Vast Right Wing Conspiracy - Founding Member)
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To: GunnyHartman

Smokin Joe put him on the canvas and if Ali hadn't been permitted to hold his opponent's head, against all rules of the ring I might add, Joe would have done it again.


32 posted on 11/29/2005 8:23:38 AM PST by Neoliberalnot
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To: forty_years

One's a great fighter, with the heart of a lion, who can bearly speak coherently. The other was a boxer.


33 posted on 11/29/2005 8:25:04 AM PST by dangus
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To: forty_years

I love W, but it is things like this that make me wonder why.


34 posted on 11/29/2005 8:26:38 AM PST by AxelPaulsenJr (Pray Daily For Our Troops and President Bush and the SAPPS)
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To: ChadGore
That's great! Did you create that?

"Laura, hide the gun! Just hide it, OK!"

35 posted on 11/29/2005 8:31:13 AM PST by dead (I've got my eye out for Mullah Omar.)
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To: karnage

I agree totally. Amazing boxer, amazing personality.

I'm not saying that he was a good man, as he was and is very very wrong on politics and religion.

But...he was an incredible athlete and a great entertainer who never mastered the fundamentals of boxing but who sort of invented his own style. Incredible.


36 posted on 11/29/2005 8:35:58 AM PST by ConservativeDude
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To: SeeSalt
Ali did his time in prison for conscientiously objecting to the war. That's a hell of alot more honorable then heading off to Canada then having the gall to come back.
37 posted on 11/29/2005 8:36:18 AM PST by zarf (The BCS sucks.)
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To: Ronaldus Magnus Reagan

Say what you want about Ali (and there is plenty to criticize), but you are aware, are you not, that he publicly supported Ronald Reagan's re-election in 1984?


38 posted on 11/29/2005 8:37:13 AM PST by Larry Lucido
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To: karnage

How could a war hero like Bush give a medal to a draft dodging Ali? Terrible!


39 posted on 11/29/2005 8:38:33 AM PST by Freeper john
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To: NotSoFreeStater
Anyone who achieves at the highest levels of their profession deserve praise and recognition for that fact. Ali was a giant of his profession and of the sports world for years.

Some of the comments on this thread are pathetic whines of computer keyboard jockeys.....the same cry babies who claim Martin Luther King to be an evil un-American Communist.

40 posted on 11/29/2005 8:42:53 AM PST by zarf (The BCS sucks.)
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