The controversial cover depicted Ali as a martyr for his various social and personal decisions, above all his conscientious objector position when he refused to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces.
Ali stated that "War is against the teachings of the Holy Qur'an. I'm not trying to dodge the draft. We are not supposed to take part in no wars unless declared by Allah or The Messenger. We don't take part in Christian wars or wars of any unbelievers."
Ali also famously said in 1966: "I ain't got no quarrel with them Viet Cong ... They never called me nigger."
Sources:
Muhammad Ali’s 1968 ‘Esquire’ cover is one of the greatest of all time, by Jill Hudson, in The Undefeated (31 May 2017)
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