Former world heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali has released a statement following Donald Trump's plan to ban Muslims from entering the United States.
Trump, who is in the running to be elected president of the USA, made the outrageous remarks in response to a number of terrorist attacks made by members of the so-called Islamic State.
Ali, who converted to Sunni Islam in 1975, has hit out at extremists following last month's attacks that left 130 people dead in the city of Paris.
The 73-year-old also alluded to Trump's claims by calling on politicians to "bring understanding" about different religions.
"Speaking as someone who has never been accused of political correctness, I believe that our political leaders should use their position to bring understanding about the religion of Islam and clarify that these misguided murderers have perverted people's views on what Islam really is," Ali said in a statement.
"I am a Muslim and there is nothing Islamic about killing innocent people in Paris, San Bernardino, or anywhere else in the world. True Muslims know that the ruthless violence of so called Islamic jihadists goes against the very tenets of our religion.
"They have alienated many from learning about Islam. True Muslims know or should know that it goes against our religion to try and force Islam on anybody."
Trump made the claims on Monday in the wake of the San Bernardino shooting in California.
Danielle Joynson
