04 Haziran 2016
Youth and Sports Minister Akif Çağatay Kılıç released a message of condolences for the legendary American boxer and world heavy weight champion Muhammad Ali.
Minister Kılıç's message is as folllows:
We have learned with deep sorrow the passing away of Muhammed Ali, the legend of world boxing history. God may rest His soul in peace, the Greatest Legend not only for his historic achievements but also for his unforgettably strong stance and excellent character. He passed away leaving an indelible mark on world’s sports history by always standing by the oppressed and taking a firm stand against racism for his entire life. The legend won the world heavyweight championship three times in the years 1964, 1974, 1978 during his unforgettably successful career. Having won the gold medal in 1960 Rome Olympics, Muhammed Ali maintained a stance against war and reflected this to humanity on all occasions. Having refused to join the war by stating “Why should I fight against people in Vietnam, while they did me no harm”, and being imprisoned for 3.5 years, Muhammed Ali will always be a legend with his peaceful statements against war. After his return from 1960 Rome Olympics, when he faced a “whites-only” restaurant he threw his gold medal into the Ohio River, which is an important sign of his strong stance against racism. In his whole life, Muhammed Ali tried to tell of Islam to whole world and spread it, and after September 11 attacks in 2001, he reflected his struggle for making Islam correctly understood by the whole world, stating that “Islam is not a killer religion. Islam means peace. I couldn't just sit home and watch people label Muslims as the reason for this problem”. Again I would like to express my deep sorrow for the passing away of this Great Legend. My condolences to the Islam world and to all humanity.