Muhammad Ali's Son Makes Head-Turning Statement About BLM

Legendary boxer Muhammad Ali (pictured) passed away on June 3, 2016, but his son, Muhammad Ali Jr., is speaking up on his behalf. According to the New York Post, the athlete had nine children throughout his four marriages. Muhammad Jr. is the "fourth-born" child to Muhammad's first wife, Belinda Boyd, who changed her name to name Khalilah Ali after converting to Islam. He had eight daughters; one adopted son, Asaad Amin; and Muhammad Jr., making him the boxer's only biological son.

Muhammad Jr. talked to the Post in June 2020, in honor of the fourth anniversary of his father's death and spoke about recent events, most notably the killing of George Floyd and the subsequent reaction to that through protests supporting the Black Lives Matter movement.

In the interview, Muhammad Jr. claimed that his father would have hated Black Lives Matter. He also called the movement "racist" and described looting and rioting, especially where it's become violent, as "sickening." The famous boxer's son said of the protests, "Don't bust up s**t, don't trash the place. You can peacefully protest." He added, ”My father would have said, 'They ain't nothing but devils.' My father said, 'All lives matter.' I don't think he'd agree."

Keep reading to see what else Muhammad Jr. said that's garnering attention.

Muhammad Ali's son — Muhammad Ali Jr. — spoke with the New York Post about what his late father would have thought of Black Lives Matter. In addition to calling the movement "racist," Muhammad Jr. (pictured) said, "It's not just Black lives matter, white lives matter, Chinese lives matter, all lives matter, everybody's life matters. God loves everyone — he never singled anyone out. Killing is wrong no matter who it is." 

This stance might be surprising, as his father was an activist who spoke out against racism throughout his life. As NPR put it, "Muhammad Ali embodied the collision of sports and politics like no athlete before him ... or since." The outlet called his activism "remarkable, even a half century later." The Post also reminded readers Muhammad made headlines for "refusing to be drafted during the Vietnam War on the basis of his religious beliefs."

However, Muhammad Jr. believes his father would've taken issue with current anti-racist movements, saying, "Police don't wake up and think, 'I'm going to kill a n****r today or kill a white man.' They're just trying to make it back home to their family in one piece." Specifically discussing George Floyd's death, Muhammad Jr. added, "The officer was wrong with killing that person, but people don't realize there was more footage than what they showed. The guy resisted arrest, the officer was doing his job, but he used the wrong tactic."

Muhammad Ali Jr. lived in Chicago before moving to Hallandale Beach, Fla., according to the New York Post. In both locations, Muhammad Jr. said he's had nothing but positive experiences with the police: "I never had a bad scene with a cop. They've always been nice and protect me. I don't have a problem with them." He added, "Not all the police are bad, there's just a few. There's a handful of police that are crooked, they should be locked up."

In the same interview, Muhammad Jr. condemned Antifa and claimed it was a terrorist organization. Per CNN, "Antifa is short for anti-fascists. The term is used to define a broad group of people whose political beliefs lean toward the left — often the far left — but do not conform with the Democratic Party platform." The outlet explained, "Some [members] employ radical or militant tactics to get their message across."

Muhammad Jr. told The Post, "They're no different from Muslim terrorists. They should all get what they deserve. They're f**king up businesses, beating up innocent people in the neighborhood, smashing up police stations and shops. They're terrorists — they're terrorizing the community. I agree with the peaceful protests, but the Antifa, they need to kill everyone in that thing." He added, "Black Lives Matter is not a peaceful protest. Antifa never wanted it peaceful." He believes that BLM is "pitting Black people against everyone else."

Muhammad Ali Jr. — the son of boxing legend Muhammad Ali — said that he sides with Donald Trump, according to the New York Post. Not only that, but Muhammad Jr. believes his father would have supported the president, too.

Meanwhile, the Post noted that Muhammad Jr. was "held and questioned by the TSA under Trump's travel ban on seven Muslim-majority nations." This happened two times and he was released on both occasions. Despite this experience, Muhammad Jr. still stands by Trump.

However, Muhammad Jr.'s statements are being met with some resistance, as he claims to speak on behalf of his father. Black Enterprise pointed out that Muhammad Jr. was estranged from his father when the boxer died. Black Enterprise also reported that Muhammad Jr.'s "words run counter to everything the heavyweight champion expressed while he was alive."

The outlet said of the famous boxer: "Ali refused to fight in the Vietnam War because of the way African Americans were treated in America. He was also a vocal civil rights campaigner who called for an end to racism and marched with the Black Panther Party."