How Muhammad Ali became a hero for Turks

In 1976, boxing legend Muhammad Ali visited Istanbul. The late Necmettin Erbakan, known as the Father of Turkish Islamism, greeted Ali at the Ataturk airport. Together they attended Friday prayers at the historic Sultan Ahmet Mosque and toured Hagia Sophia with thousands of fans marching along on the streets of Istanbul to catch a glimpse of Ali. Legend has it that Ali that day praised Erbakan, saying, "No white leader ever before embraced me," making Erbakan the first white politician to hug Ali.

An elderly Islamic scholar who asked to remain anonymous told Al-Monitor, “We all grew up watching Muhammad Ali on the black and white screens in the early '70s. Due to the time difference [between Turkey and the United States], we would have to wake up around 3 a.m. In my neighborhood, we were the only family who owned a television. My father did not enjoy sports, let alone boxing, because he was an imam. But he loved Ali. We would invite as many neighbors as we could fit into our living room and raise the television high up on the table. Everyone would pray quietly for Ali. Then before the tea was served, he would knock his opponent down with an amazing TKO. We would all cheer, praise God for this moment of joy. When Erbakan and other Islamists met him, and he hugged Erbakan, I knew we would overcome our hardships. Those were the days when Islamists were the dark black Turks, ostracized and belittled. Muhammad Ali’s punches and his embrace of Islam gave us hope and pride.”