Muhammad Ali to attend services for the late Jabir Herbert Muhammad

THE CHAMP CONFIRMED TO ATTEND MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR JABIR HERBET MUHAMMAD TOMORROW

(CHICAGO, IL, 8/29/08) The family of Jabir Herbert Muhammad- long-time business and personal manager of the Champ, Muhammad Ali and son of Nation of Islam leader the Honorable Elijah Muhammad- will host a memorial service in honor of the memory and accomplishments of Mr. Muhammad tomorrow in Chicago. The memorial service is set for 11 a.m. tomorrow at Salaam Restaurant, 700 W. 79th St.

Confirmed guests include three-time heavy weight Champ- Muhammad Ali and a range of dignitaries, friends and community leaders.

Mr. Muhammad, 79, passed away on Monday, Aug. 25, after heart surgery at the University of Illinois Hospital in Chicago. He was a key advisor to his father, famed leader of the Nation of Islam from 1934 until 1975. Mr. Muhammad was the organization’s chief business manager, establishing and managing a successful bakery, restaurant, dry cleaners, among other enterprises. In addition, he established and oversaw operations of the Nation of Islam’s newspaper, Muhammad Speaks, at the peak of its influence, dispatching correspondents to Africa, Europe, and other points overseas, and building the weekly circulation to nearly one million copies.

Mr. Muhammad became Ali's business manager in 1966, a couple of years after the boxer formally converted to Islam. He negotiated fights for Ali and coordinated his role as a fundraiser and public face for the Nation of Islam. Mr. Muhammad was secured multimillion-dollar purses for Ali as he fought and won three heavyweight titles and became the most-recognized athlete of his generation.

Mr. Muhammad was a world traveler and philanthropist. He donated the land for, and built, the first freestanding Muslim mosque in Chicago, Masjid al-Faatir (the Mosque of the Originator), which stands on 47th Street at Woodlawn Avenue. Mr. Muhammad built treasured friendships, which transcended lines of race, religion and nationality.

WHAT: Memorial Service for Jabir Herbert Muhammad

WHEN: Tomorrow, Saturday August 29th beginning at 11 a.m.

WHERE: Salaam Restaurant, 700 W. 79th St.

TO RSVP CONTACT: Sultan Muhammad, (773) 540-6001 sultan@mpdstudios.com

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