MUHAMMAD ALI’S GREATEST FIGHT
The movie is based on a true story, set in the 1970s during the administration of U.S
President Richard Nixon. At that time, an ​African-American organization known as the Nation
of Islam was strong and well-known for its teachings that fuse traditional Islamic principles with
Black nationalist ideals. The Nation upholds a strong code of discipline among its members and
encourages racial harmony and self-help. And as we all know, one of the most popular athletes
in the world, Muhammad Ali, formerly known as Cassius Clay Jr., converted to Islam and
became one of them. During this time also, a relentless war was happening in Vietnam between
the northern and southern part of the said country. Being allies with southern Vietnam, the US
is sending troops to Asia to help and fight with them. There, was what started the greatest fight
of Muhammad Ali. Ali had no intention of serving the army. He explained, “My conscience won’t
let me shoot my brother, or some darker people, or some poor hungry people in the mud for
big powerful America. And shoot them for what? They never called me nigger, they never
lynched me, they didn’t put no dogs on me, they didn’t rob me of my nationality, rape and kill
my mother and father. Shoot them for what? How can I shoot poor people? Just take me to
jail.” Consequently, he was stripped off of his heavyweight title, lost his license to fight, was not
allowed to work nor leave the country, and even charged him with a fine of 10,000 dollars.
Muhammad Ali's most formidable opponent was the U.S Supreme Court where much of
the movie was focused there. It has a total of 9 members: 1 Chief Justice and 8 associate justices,
who in the beginning, are totally against the action of Ali and would not accept him as a
conscientious objector. They believed that if the court frees him, every black American will join
the Nation of Islam so they do not have to go and fight in Vietnam. But one lawyer altered the
course. Kevin Connolly, one of Associate Justice Harlan clerks, is given the task of creating a
first draft. He feels that it was a mistake and convinces Justice Harlan to overturn the decision.
In the nick of time, Kevin found that one precedent that could change the esteemed justices’
decision: Sicurella v US (1955). It was about a Jehovah’s Witness member who said that he
would only go to war if God commands him to do it, and was denied classification as a
conscientious objector. But in conclusion, the Supreme Court overturned his conviction. In the
case of Ali, he was a follower of Islam that teaches peace and will not partake in any war unless
declared by Allah (SWT). Finally persuaded of the sincerity of Ali's religious and anti-war
sentiments, Justice Harlan, who was terminally ill with cancer and would retire that year,
changed his vote to level the score at 4-4 against the desires of his close friend Chief Justice
Burger.
He asserted, “According to the Constitution, one cannot favor one religion over
another. How can we make a legal distinction between a Jehovah’s Witness and a Black
Muslim? If the court will put Ali to jail, it goes saying that there is one law for white and one
law for black.” In the end, he persuaded the other conservative members of the court with such
force that the verdict was unanimous.
As a muslim law student, not only did I learn academically from this movie but also
appreciate and understand Muhammad Ali’s position. Despite the government punishing him
for his refusal, he stood his ground and faced those consequences. In relation to law, I learned
the importance of the doctrine of stare decisis which, from the movie, was used to resolve a case
and produce a final judgment. The Supreme Court needs to be fair and equal to all, because as
Kevin said, “if the Supreme Court is not going to protect the constitutional rights of the people,
then who is?”
Balt, Jamedah D.
Block A