Thousands gather to honor Muhammad Ali at Muslim funeral (Reuters)

By Steve Bittenbender LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Reuters) – Thousands of people of all races and creeds gathered on Thursday for a Muslim funeral service in Muhammad Ali’s hometown in Kentucky to pay their respects to a man who fought in the ring and sought peace outside it. The jenazah, or funeral in Arabic, was set to begin at noon EDT (1600 GMT) at a convention space in Freedom Hall, the complex where the former heavyweight world champion defeated Willi Besmanoff on Nov. 29, 1961 in his last fight in Louisville. Ali, known for his boxing prowess, showmanship and political activism in the turbulent 1960s and 1970s, died on Friday of septic shock in an Arizona hospital.