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In Those Days, I knew him as Casius Clay. He was on his way to becomming a champion boxer after knocking the daylights out of everyone he fought in the Olympics. Then, overnight he became the more famous Muhommad Ali. That was crazy, but it was the first time ever that I heard about converting to Islam. The only benefit I saw from it is that it was a way out of serving your country. But whose country? After all it was the 60's and Vietnam was building.
And in the 70's, it was Lew Alcindar who became Kareem Abdul-Jabar. As time passed Malcom Little became Malcom X, Cat Stevens became Yusaf Islam, and Malik el-Shabazz (he would flip flop between them), boxing stars Matt Franklin switched to Saad Muhommed, Dwight Braxton to Muhammed Qawi, Eddie Gregory swapped for Mustapha Muhommed, and Chris Jackson went for Muhommed Abdul-Rauf.
Just like the popular kid's toy "Transformers" one could instantly swap religions, change his name, and become a different person. And they did. They were drastically different after converting to Islam. Even more violent than they were before.
Many more followed suit. Michael Jackson in 2003, the author Michael Wolfe, and lots more. Some were given Islamic names at birth like Shaquile O'Neal. This list could go on and on. And I hope it does because it make it all that much easier for me to identify the enemy.
Personally, I prefer the name David.
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i didn't know you knew casius...i think that is spelled cassius. but you never know. just the other day we came across the name Awdree. normally that would have been Audrey. i think it makes her mother look stupid. but then it could have been Oddree ~ and that would have caused problems for the kid.
ReplyDeleteanyway, i never knew cassius... only leroy and his brother hayford. or wait....do you remember those two white kids we used to play with, i think their names were tommy and billy. never caught any black kids or mohamma-dans named tommy and billy. but tommy and billy ~ weren't they the ones someone saw kissing under the mobile home, once. or was that hector and jose'?
yes it is ALL in a name.
david's your slave name!
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