WASHINGTON: The son of the late boxing icon Muhammad Ali, who claims he was detained by US officials last month because he is Muslim, joined Democrats on Thursday in their fight against President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
“I felt that my human rights were just abused,” Muhammad Ali Jr told House Democrats at a forum in the US Capitol. Ali and his mother, Khalilah Camacho-Ali, recounted their ordeal at Florida’s Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on February 7, when they were interrogated at length as they returned from a trip to Jamaica.
Ali, travelling on his US passport, said he was pulled aside and asked his name. When he responded, Customs and Border Patrol officials asked him his religion, then detained him for more than an hour and a half.
“I believe they were religiously and racially profiling,” the 44-year-old said, adding that officials likely thought he “must be a terrorist” because he is African-American and Muslim.
“I felt just like I felt at my father’s funeral,” he added. “I was just dumbfounded.”
Ali and his mother expressed concern that other Americans and immigrants are being similarly targeted by officials emboldened by Trump’s rhetoric and policies.
“That makes me feel like we’re going back into slavery,” Ali said.
“I’ve never felt so uncomfortable being in my own country,” added Camacho-Ali, who like her world champion boxer ex-husband converted to Islam after they got married in 1967. — AFP
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
