Former NBA star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar spoke out against Islamophobia on Monday, decrying incidents in which he said Muslims have been unfairly targeted.
Abdul-Jabbar, who converted to Islam decades ago, made his comments after The Huffington Post asked what he thinks is driving anti-Islamic rhetoric of late, with the former Lakers star saying he believes people are simply looking for a place to vent their anger and frustration.
"I think that so many people here in America see people like ISIS, their hatred for our nation, and they would like to respond," he said. "And people over there are very good at hiding out and not being available to respond to what we have to say and the things that we want to do."
With those people in hiding, Abdul-Jabbar said that there's an unfortunate dynamic in which innocent Muslims are harassed and targeted instead.
"They have to find some Muslims who are more convenient targets," he continued. "And, unfortunately, that ends up being very innocent people who are very happy to be here in America, where they can practice their faith without any interference."
Abdul-Jabbar went on to speak about the killing of Queens Imam Alauddin Akonjee, though it should be noted that police have not yet determined a motive in the murders of Akonjee and his assistant, Thara Miah, according to The New York Times.
But the former Lakers star also spoke about other incidents in which he said people who wear turbans — like Sikhs — have also "been brutalized and sometimes killed" by people who incorrectly assume they're Muslim.
Sikhs, who comprise the world's fifth-largest religion, have, indeed, been targeted, especially after the 9/11 attacks, with the FBI now tracking attacks against the religious group in its hate-crime statistics.
"That's so unnecessary and unfortunate and that should not be what America is about," Abdul-Jabbar said of the attacks on Sikhs. "That's one of the great things about America — everybody's free to worship as they see fit and that's not the case in many parts of the world, even the Islamic world."
He went on to reiterate that many people simply can't get their hands on the Islamic State and so they then "strike out" against Muslims as a result, with acts of terror leading some people to get "emotionally worked over," as they look to "do something about it."
Abdul-Jabbar, who has a new book out titled, "Writings on the Wall: Searching for a New Equality Beyond Black and White," also spoke about his personal Muslim faith, saying that he was once "very religious" but has become "more secular" as the years have gone on.
"But I also have not given up on the morality that I've learned from Islam," he told The Huffington Post, calling that morality both "effective and meaningful."
Abdul-Jabbar, who was born Lew Alcindor, wrote an op-ed in 2015 for Al Jazeera America that explained his conversion to Islam and how the religious transition profoundly impacted his life.
"Even though I became a Muslim more than 40 years ago, I’m still defending that choice," he wrote.
The athlete went on to explain it was Malcolm X's story that initially led him into the Islamic faith.
"Malcolm X’s transformation from petty criminal to political leader inspired me to look more closely at my upbringing and forced me to think more deeply about my identity," Abdul-Jabbar wrote. "Islam helped him find his true self and gave him the strength not only to face hostility from both blacks and whites but also to fight for social justice. I began to study the Quran."
Throughout the piece, he discussed wishing he had made his conversion more personal and not so public, among other sentiments.
Abdul-Jabbar has been making the rounds this week to promote his book, while also weighing in on the 2016 presidential race.
In an interview with Yahoo!, he said Republican candidate Donald Trump's attempts to court minority voters won't be successful unless Trump goes to black communities and talks with the people there.
So far, Abdul-Jabar said the candidate hasn't delivered speeches to those communities.
"Those speeches were delivered in front of a basically all-white audience," he said of Trump's recent race remarks. "I don’t know what he was trying to do with that."
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