BREAKING 'The Greatest of All Time': Muhammad Ali Dead at 74

[niyad]

151. are you all familiar with the ali center?

http://alicenter.org/home/

and this, from the cinema for peace foundation:

Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali is celebrating his 70th birthday this year. The greatest living legend of sport is not only known as a great sports champion, but also for his humanitarian work and opposing war. In 1967, he declared he would refuse to serve in the United States Army and publicly considered himself a conscientious objector of the Vietnam War, and stood up for his beliefs, even though he was sentenced initially to 5 years in prison, was stripped his world-championship-title and was not allowed to work for 3,5 years.

In 1984, Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson‘s syndrome. In 1991, he travelled to Iraq during the Gulf War and met with Saddam Hussein in an attempt to negotiate the release of American hostages. In 1996, Ali had the honour of lighting the flame at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, what become the most memorable moment of modern Olympic history. In 2002 Muhammad Ali went to Afghanistan as „U.N. Messenger of Peace“. In 2011, Ali, as one of the most prominent U.S. Muslims, appealed to Iran's supreme leader to show mercy and free two Americans held on suspicion of espionage since 2009.

On the occasion of the 30th Olympic Games in London 2012, “Sports for Peace” will be honouring boxing legend Muhammad Ali in a Gala event in The Victoria and Albert Museum on the 25th of July. “Sports for Peace” aims at praising the Olympic ideals and to convey its message, raising awareness for such important and inspirational causes as The Muhammad Ali Center, which serves both as a cultural attraction and international education center that is inspired by the ideals of its founder. “Sports for Peace” was created during the preliminary stages of the Olympic Games 2008 in response to the question whether sport or major sporting events could be obliged to common ideals, following a discussion with Richard Gere in 2007.

Outstanding sports personalities create unforgettable moments and serve as role models for entire generations. But it does take more than sporting triumphs, world records and gold medals to transform successful athletes into role models of entire generations.

http://www.cinemaforpeace-foundation.com/Projects/muhammad-ali