Friday, October 19, 2007

A Letter to the Great Warrior Evander Holyfield and Those in the Boxing Industry

In the Name of Allah The Most Gracious The Most Merciful,

Normally, as a man in a position of spiritual and civic leadership, I do not address the issue of sports in my public writing and activism, although I am a lifelong sports fan and an ardent fan of the Sweet Science, but on this issue my conscious will not allow me to remain silent.

Over the years one of my favorite boxers has been Evander “The Real Deal” Holyfield who made his legacy first as a dominating cruiserweight and then as one of the all-time great heavyweights in his battles with Mike Tyson, Riddick Bowe, Michael Moore, George Foreman, and James “Buster” Douglas.

However, all of us who enter this world are terminally-ill, and aging and death is a reality for all humans. The physical strength and athletic ability we have as young men decreases as we get older as a natural process of aging. Therefore, some things we do when we are younger and more vibrant have to be given up as we get older. For most of us this takes place out of the public eye and in private, but in the case of Brother Holyfield, his battle with the aging process and the negative impact on his body is open for the world to see.

Boxing is a great sport, but it is known that if one stays in the sport longer than the body has the ability to compete, that damages from head-blows can lead to long-term brain damage and even death and it would be a national tragedy if one of our great athletes in Brother Holyfield, would either lose his ability to speak in the eloquent manner in which he does, or God-forbid, if he would perish in the ring. However, continuing to fight at this stage of his career, both of these things are a true reality.

As the Executive Director of the Muslim American Society, a grassroots civil-rights organization dedicated to defending all Americans, I call first and foremost to Brother Holyfield and his team, and then to the moral-conscious of all of those in the boxing industry, to put health, safety, and the greater-good, above any short-term monetary gain.

The two leading networks in boxing, HBO and Showtime, have shown wisdom in this regard, and many in the boxing and sports press have echoed these sentiments; but it is time for all in the industry, every network, every sanctioning body, every organization, and every promoter, to stand for what is right in this matter.

May the Peace and Blessings of The Creator be Upon All,

Imam Mahdi Bray
Executive Director
MAS Freedom Foundation

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