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Muhammad Ali is arguably the world's most famous name in sports. Others may simply say that the name Muhammad Ali is just one of the most recognized throughout the United States and/or around the globe. In any event, the late Muhammad Ali remains - without question - one of the greatest athletes...if not "The Greatest" athlete of all time. And through his charm and charisma - not to mention his enormous talent - Muhammad Ali would tell you...and convince you...that he was indeed the very best...with whatever he attempted...and with whatever he accomplished. And unless you've never watched television, listened to the radio, read a newspaper or magazine, or surfed the Internet...you have seen the name Muhammad Ali at some point in your lifetime.
Whether you are 90 years old or 9 years old, the name Muhammad Ali has more than likely been one that has come before your eyes...and has, perhaps, been uttered passed your lips. So it is logical to assume...that the tiniest amount of people in our country - and maybe even on our planet - would be unaware of the name Muhammad Ali or the person who made that name so prominent. Therefore... how on God's green Earth did Muhammad Ali's son - who carries the same name as his legendary father - get detained at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport...and repeatedly asked the questions..."Where did you get your name from? Are you Muslim?"
On February 7th, 2017...after he and his mother were returning from a speaking engagement to celebrate Black History Month in Montego Bay, Jamaica...Muhammad Ali, Jr. and Khalilah Camacho-Ali were stopped as they proceeded through Customs... allegedly because of their Arabic-sounding names.
Reportedly, immigration officials let Mrs. Ali go - after about half-an-hour - but only because she showed authorities a photo of herself with her ex-husband. She and the three-time world heavyweight boxing champion were divorced in 1977, following ten years of marriage. But their son didn't have a picture of himself with his renowned dad...so therefore...when he revealed that - like his father - he is Muslim...Muhammad Ali, Jr. was detained and interrogated for about two hours... before he was eventually released.
The First Amendment of the United States Constitution focuses, in part, on Freedom of Religion. Yet it has been reported that Customs officials asked Ali, Jr. - over and over again - about his sacred and holy beliefs...which is a clear-cut case of racial profiling...and THAT...is illegal. Religious rights prohibit law enforcement officers to question a person about his faith. Ali, Jr. was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1972...holds a valid U.S. passport...and has no criminal record.
Throughout the time when Ali, Jr. and his mother were separated by immigration officials, Mrs. Ali was worried about her son. But when she asked local police...and even begged for help...Mrs. Ali was informed that since Ali, Jr. was being held by Customs officers, the police in Florida had no legal authority or jurisdiction to assist her.
The Ali family remained mum about the incident until Mrs. Ali mentioned it to their attorney - former federal prosecutor Chris Mancini - on Friday, February 24th. And now a federal lawsuit against the U.S. government is apparently pending by Ali, Jr.
A. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer claims Muhammad Ali, Jr wasn't held "because he's a Muslim...and it wasn't because of his Arabic-sounding name." Sure...I believe that. And Elvis Presley is coming to my house for dinner Saturday night.
Donald Trump pledged throughout his campaign for President that he wanted Muslims banned from the United States. And on January 27th, he signed an executive order...to ban people from seven countries...whose citizens are predominantly Muslim. But despite the fact that the order was blocked by a federal judge in Seattle, Washington on February 3rd...it seems obvious to me that Ali, Jr. was held on February 7th, as a result of Trump's original order.
For Customs officials to hold Muhammad Ali, Jr. and his mother because they are Muslim...is inexcusable. On June 3rd, 2016, then-President Barack Obama noted - on the death of Muhammad Ali - that Ali "shook up the world and the world is better for it." And Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - who is the all-time leading scorer in the National Basketball Association - wrote on Facebook after Ali died at age 74...that because of Muhammad Ali's "bravery, his outspokenness and his sacrifice for the sake of his community and country (he will) live on in the best part of each of us." Abdul-Jabbar is also Muslim. The next time he arrives back in the United States after traveling abroad...will immigration officers stop and detain him? They certainly better not.
So for Muhammad Ali, Jr. - the son of an American treasure...the son of a philanthropist...humanitarian...Presidential Medal of Freedom honoree...and global icon - to be handled like a common criminal as he enters our country...and then questioned as if he was a possible terrorist because of his Muslim name...are the definitions of bigotry and prejudice. For federal law enforcement officers to treat two of our own...two red, white and blue Americans...as potential threats - one of whom is the son of Muhammad Ali - and locking them in a room for even one little second...just because of their ethnic-sounding name...is absolutely disgraceful and downright shameful. Especially when that name is connected to a man who has been revered by hundreds of millions of people, worldwide, for more than half a century. This is an embarrassment to everything America has stood for, over its 240-year history. And whether it was Muhammad Ali, Jr. or anybody else with a Muslim name...this has got to stop. The hate, racism and discrimination against Muslims - or against anyone - just because who they pray to...or because of their skin color...or because of the way they are dressed...or because of the language they speak...or because of the spelling or the sound of their name...are actions that are deplorable and reprehensible.
The United States of America is the country of freedom. We are the country of "liberty and justice for all." And we are the country where President Thomas Jefferson - in 1802 - wrote..."Religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God." It is, therefore, contemptible...that legitimate U.S. citizens...could be stopped at our borders...or as he or she enters our country by air, sea or land...just because a badge-wearing bigot...doesn't like the sound of a person's name. And if Donald Trump thinks he is doing right by ordering such action...he is thoroughly wrong.
And that's The Controversy for today.
I'm Gary B. Duglin.
"We'll talk again."
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I will not condone or condemn what happened, that is because none of us including you do not know what happened. All we know is he was stopped and questioned. You make the hateful accusations that it was Muslim hating bigotry, you don’t know that. Do we know if there was a glitch with his passport, did his name come up on a watch list, there are many people named Ali and many could be on a watch list? How is Father was should mean nothing at US Customs. Was it a random stop, every 20th person? Do we know if anything came up on the immigration system that caused the stop? We know nothing, immigration officials have released a statement saying “Ali wasn't singled out because he's a Muslim.” Could it have been something different, without a doubt but we don’t know and you don’t know either? Why not wait to see what caused the stop before you start with all the hate filled speech you have written here. Just to correct you the First Amendment does protect the Freedom of Religion but there is no law the prevent an investigator from asking questions about your religion, what your faith is can’t be the reason for a stop or be held against you but it can be asked about! This doesn’t seem to have anything to do with President Trump’s order, it just show’s your hate for him. For you to call immigration official “a badge-wearing bigot” is disgraceful, you don’t know this person so why spew you hate at him?
ReplyDeleteAs usual, my Republican readers don't carefully read my column. I did not call any specific immigration official "a badge-wearing bigot." This is is what I wrote above in my commentary. "It is, therefore, contemptible... that legitimate U.S. citizens...could be stopped at our borders...or as he or she enters our country by air, sea or land...just because a badge-wearing bigot...doesn't like the sound of a person's name." I was generalizing. Besides, even if I was being specific, if it was a "random stop" - as you seem to suggest - then Customs officers would not spend two hours asking Muhammad Ali, Jr. the same question over and over again. "Where did you get your name from? Are you Muslim?" The fact that his father was Muhammad Ali does mean something. It showed WHERE he got his name from...and that he held the same religious beliefs as his famous Muslim father. And I disagree with you. Asking about a person's religion is against the First Amendment. If the immigration officials stopped the Alis because the name "Ali" came up on a watch list, then after a few moments the officers would have known that these two individuals were not terrorists. After all, they released Mrs. Ali simply because she showed a photograph of herself with her famous ex-husband. Since Muhammad Ali, Jr. had identification...including a valid U.S. Passport with his name and picture on it...he should never have been held for two minutes, let alone for two hours. And this does have everything to do with Donald Trump. His executive order gave people an open door to be bigoted. And THAT is not America. I don't spew hate at anybody. But I do express opposition when others spew THEIR hate. GBD
DeleteGeneralizing a statement like “a badge-wearing bigot” is hateful and wrong. I didn’t suggest it was a "random stop" I gave many options that it could be. You really don’t know how things work, I have friend that was in Pakistan about 6 months ago on business, he is a white male with an Anglo Saxon name and was stopped at Kennedy Airport customs last month coming back from England and questioned for close to an hour and a half on why he had been in Pakistan. He wasn’t on a watch list or anything except he travels a lot for business and had been in South America and Mexico in the past year and then Pakistan and England. For whatever reason his number came up to be questioned, all they wanted to know was about Pakistan, who did he meet with, why and where did he stay. He says they asked the same questions time and time again to see if his answers stay consistent. After about 90 minutes they said thank you for being cooperative and released him. When leaving he asked why he had been stopped and was told they have certain metrics that are used and he got flagged for that reason. He never found out what those metrics were and we I think we should never know. If they released how they did it people could avoid doing it so not to be stopped. We do not know what he was asked or why and I will not be so untrusting of or Customs agents and name call with such hate as you did. They may of just been doing their job. No hate, no bigotry, no racism, your first move is to show hate and distrust for your fellow man. Very sad you have such hate in you for Americans that may have just been doing their job protecting America.
Delete1) If the shoe fits...then wear it. So if "a badge-wearing bigot" fits the bill, then it is not hateful nor is it wrong. A bigot is a bigot is a bigot. And a bigot is a hater and a hater is wrong.
Delete2) I really do know how things work. And in the age of Donald Trump, they're not working properly. Your "white male with an Anglo Saxon name" should not have been detained for 90 minutes and questioned about his travels to Pakistan. That is against his Constitutional rights as an American. Period. End of discussion. We don't live in Nazi Germany, in Communist China or the old Soviet Union. American citizens are free to come and go as they please. Or, at least, that's the way it used to be. The so-called "metrics" that you describe is another way of saying..."We don't trust you so we're going to interrogate you." THAT is NOT America.
3) Republicans are quick to accuse Democrats of being haters. You're quick to accuse me of claiming that there was bigotry and racism. No. I'm not quick to do that. Unless of course, it "looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck"...well then...it ain't a chicken.
4) I have no hate in my bones whatsoever. I am all for the freedoms and the rights of each and every single American citizen. "Protecting America" is one thing. Detaining Americans and interrogating them with no probable cause...that's fascism.
GBD
Once again you show your hate, “If the shoe fits...then wear it”, you don’t know any of the facts. All you care about is trying to blame President Trump and spewing your hate. These policy of stopping and questioning persons entering the United States from a foreign country have been in place since 9/11 they were continued and even in many cases strengthened under President Obama. I would love for you to show everyone where in the Constitution it says that US Customs can’t question you about foreign travel, it not in my copy. I think it is disgraceful that you compare US Custom practices that have been done for years to Nazi Germany, Communist China or the old Soviet Union, you show your hate! I have traveled to over a dozen countries in Europe and the Americas over the last 15 years for business and many times when returning to the US I am asked what was purpose of my trip, where did I stay, I’ve been asked did I go to any other countries not stamped in my passport, dozens of questions at different times. I had it take 2 minutes to go through US Customs and had it take 30 plus. We are a nation basically at war with Radical Islamic Terrorist and we need to protect our country. You are very quick to claim racism, just remember what you see that "looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck" may only look that way through the glasses of hate that you ware. Stop with your hate and stop calling America fascist!
ReplyDeleteYou simply want to accuse Democrats (especially me) of being a hater. But no matter what I say, you are going to claim that I am "spewing hate." Quite the contrary. What I did in the above column and in my responses above is to prove that no American should be treated like Muhammad Ali, Jr. and his mother were treated.
DeleteAsking a person, as they walk through the Customs line at an airport, general conversation about their traveling is one thing. Detaining them for two hours and interrogating them in a locked room and repeatedly asking, "Where did you get your name from? Are you Muslim?" that is unacceptable and a form of fascism.
I don't think I am "show(ing) hate" by comparing what Customs did to Muhammad Ali, Jr....to Nazi Germany, Communist China and the old Soviet Union. You claim that it has taken you 30 minutes to get through Customs in the past...but were you detained in a locked room? I don't think so.
The United States of America is not...let me repeat that...NOT...at war with "Radical Islamic Terrorism." We are fighting the terrorist organizations of ISIS and al-Qaeda. We are not at war with Islam. We are not at war with Muslims.
And again...when you and other Republicans make statements as you do, then it is the "looks like a duck" metaphor. America cannot survive if Donald Trump continues to act as he has over the last 5 weeks, the last almost 4 months and the last nearly 21 months. It is up to Trump to change or America will sink to depths that may not allow us to swim to the top, but instead we will drown...and we will die.
GBD
You can try to spin this any way you want, but I call it like it is...and what it is...when you say "We are a nation basically at war with Radical Islamic Terrorists" then you are saying that you are against Muslims. Even Donald Trump's new National Security Adviser "advised" Trump NOT to use the term "Radical Islamic Terrorism" in his address to Congress on February 28th. But Trump ignored the advice and did it anyway. The guy is out of control. And it sounds like...so are you. GBD
ReplyDeleteYou can say what you will, but the lies you tell are false. I am not against all Muslims, as I said most are good people. I am glad we have a President willing to state the truth "Radical Islamic Terrorism" on like the coward we had in the White House the last 8 years. I am not in out of control, I'm honest maybe you should try it and show you are not a coward too!
ReplyDelete