Muhammad Ali's Son Was Detained at an Airport and Asked about His Religion
Muhammad Ali Jr., son of American icon and boxing GOAT Muhammad Ali, was reportedly detained at a Florida airport and questioned about his religion, the Louisville Courier-Journal reported on Friday, citing a family friend.
Muhammad Ali Jr. was returning from Jamaica to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport with his mother, Khalilah Camacho-Ali, Muhammad Ali's second wife, who had just delivered a speech on Black History Month in Montego Bay on February 7. The pair were pulled aside by customs and questioned because of their Arabic-sounding names, lawyer and family friend Chris Mancini said.
Camacho-Ali was released after showing officials a photo of herself and Muhammad Ali to prove her identity. Ali Jr., however, was not so lucky, as he did not have a photo like that handy.
According to Mancini, immigration officials questioned Ali Jr. for almost two hours, asking over and over, "Where did you get your name from?" and "Are you Muslim?" It should be noted that Ali Jr. has a valid United States passport, as he was born in Philadelphia in 1972.
"To the Ali family, it's crystal clear that this is directly linked to [President] Trump's efforts to ban Muslims from the United States," Mancini told the Courier-Journal.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January that ordered a temporary travel ban on visitors from seven majority-Muslim nations. A federal appeals court effectively overturned the ban, but according to numerous reports, travelers with Muslim-sounding names are still being questioned and detained.
Eventually, after two hours of detainment, Ali Jr. was released and he and his mother were allowed to return to their Deerfield Beach, Florida, home.
Sad!
You Might Also Like
