British Muslim boxing champ Amir Khan has called on British Muslims to stand against extremism, saying that youth who join fighting overseas are brainwashed.
“People are brainwashing them. Kids don’t grow up thinking about going out and killing innocent people. It’s why I go to schools and tell them: ‘Look, you want to follow the right path. You want to represent your country in a good way. You want to build a name for yourself and your families'.
“Obviously innocent people shouldn’t be killed. Obviously this is wrong,” he continued.
His anti-extremism remarks followed reports that three schoolgirls from east London fled to join fighters in the Middle East.
Khan’s comments came just days after a Sky News British Muslims Poll found that 40% of British Muslims partly blame police and MI5 for radicalizing young people, amid a surge in the number of youth traveling to fight alongside extremist groups overseas.
The British government claims that up to 600 Britons have traveled abroad to take part in fighting in Syria and that at least 218 have returned to the UK.
Khan became the WBA World light-welterweight champion on 18 July 2009, becoming Britain's third-youngest world champion after Naseem Hamed and Herbie Hide.
The former Commonwealth lightweight champion also previously held the WBO Inter-Continental lightweight and WBA International lightweight championships.
Khan was also awarded a lightweight silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Religious Obligations
Being a Muslim of Pakistani origin, Khan proudly said that following Islam has helped him with his sport, giving him inspiration to pursue his goals.
Speaking about the Muslim spiritual journey of Hajj, Khan said: "Everyone is the same. I’m a normal person just like everyone. We all wear the same clothing and we go there to do our pilgrimage and prayers and everything.
"It’s the opposite of being in Vegas and seeing my name and pictures everywhere.”
Khan also said that he doesn’t drink and he doesn’t smoke, “which is for religious reasons, but it’s always helped me with my sport because I’m always in shape and I don’t put weight on.”
Despite the player’s clear stance against extremist acts committed in the name of Islam, the 27-year-old boxer has encountered numerous anti-Muslim racist rants.
A few months ago, plans for a dream fight between Khan and American undefeated Floyd Mayweather were threatened by a new, rising wave of anti-Muslim propaganda across the world.
Ultimately, Mayweather chose to fight another boxer.
Boxing experts believe that Khan may have been excluded from the competition due to the apparent anti-Muslim backlash.
Another sharply contested fight between Khan Devon Alexander was held in December when the Muslim boxer defeated his contender.
“We’re prizefighters. That’s what we become. Boxing has one of the biggest purses in sports. And in the sporting field we probably make the most money," Khan stated.
"But it’s a blood sport. You go in there to fight and to hurt someone, and obviously I think it has to pay good because if you’re doing something like that, taking blows to the head, you’re going to get hurt.”
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