The loss of Muhammad Ali has shaken up not just those in the United States who were lifelong fans of the legendary boxer, but the entire world. One of the first truly global athletic icons has quite the lineup set for his service Friday in Louisville, where all faiths will be welcome.
Family spokesman Bob Gunnell told ESPN that ministers from multiple faiths will be attending the service led by California imam and scholar Zaid Shakir. According to ESPN, other scheduled speakers include Protestant minister Kevin Cosby, Rabbi Michael Lerner, Rabbi Joe Rapport and mormon U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch.
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Foreign dignitaries that are expected to attend include Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and King Abdullah II of Jordan. The Dalai Lama was invited to the service but will not be able to attend, according to Gunnell.
The funeral will be preceded by a public procession that will start at 9 a.m. ET. His body will be carried down Muhammad Ali Avenue, past his boyhood home, and down Broadway, where the parade for his gold medal at the 1960 Olympics was held.
To express your condolences, share your stories, or give a donation for Muhammad Ali’s legacy please visit https://t.co/WsMQU26GDG
— Muhammad Ali (@MuhammadAli) June 4, 2016
After the procession, the memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. ET at the KFC Yum! Center. Eulogies will be given by his wife Lonnie, Bill Clinton, Bryant Gumbel and Billy Crystal. Thursday, a 30-minute Islamic funeral prayer will be held at Freedom Hall at noon ET, the scene of where his final fight in Louisville was held.
According to ESPN, Gunnell said Monday that the family has been working on the details of his memorials for the past decade, and appropriately so. Ali’s memorial services should be a beautiful event to properly remember a beautiful and admirable life.
[ESPN]
