The Reason Why ONLY Muhammad Ali's 'Hollywood Walk Of Fame Star' Is Not On The Floor
Ali made it easier to be a Muslim in a country that has never really viewed Islam favourably.
By Sadho Ram — 05 Jun 2016, 04:38 PM
It's highly unlikely that you may not have heard of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, where five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars are embedded in the sidewalks of Hollywood Boulevard in California
So far there are 2,500 of these stars that are carelessly being walked on by millions of people who visit the Hollywood Boulevard. Except one. The only star that had never been walked on.
This star belongs to late Muhammad Ali. It was presented to Ali in the year 2002.
His is the only star that is not on the ground. Instead, it's mounted on a wall next to the Walk of Fame, just inside the Dolby Theatre -- the home of the Academy Awards.
"Ali had originally declined an invitation from the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce to get a star because he didn't want his name and what it represented disrespected by having it walked on by 'people who have no respect for me'", writes Arash Markazi
"I bear the name of our Beloved Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him), and it is impossible that I allow people to trample over his name," Ali had said at the time.
To which, respecting the boxing champion's wishes, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce decided that the 2,189th star would be the first and (so far) the only star mounted on a wall.
Fans wait to pay their respects to Muhammad Ali's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Image via Arash Markazi/ESPNWhile it may not seem like that big of a deal, it certainly was
It isn't easy being a Muslim in the United States for reasons that go far deeper and extend much further than the opinions of a certain presidential candidate this year, and Ali made it easier to be a Muslim in a country that has never really viewed the religion favorably.
Ali wasn't just the greatest athlete of all time, but he was also the most famous Muslim -- and that last part shouldn't be forgotten.