“I was unaware” – Mike Tyson claims innocence after facing heat from Muslim community for attending Israel military funding event

Mike Tyson is one of the most recognizable figures in the sporting world. The former heavyweight boxing champion converted to Islam later in his career. His religious beliefs and his close association with Donald Trump have already created some dissent among his fans. Another incident related to the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian crisis has put Tyson in a bad light.

The combat sports community, like any other community, is divided on the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine. In the UFC, fighters have publicly voiced their support for both Israel and Palestine. Tyson shared an Instagram story about a recent incident he was part of.

I want to clarify the recent portrayal of an event 1 attended. Invited for a casual evening out by a friend, was unaware of the arranged fundraiser, and no donations were made by me or on my behalf. As a Muslim and human, support peace. My prayers have been and continue to be with my brothers and sisters. 

Mike Tyson via Instagram.

Apparently, Tyson attended an Israeli funding event that caused his pro-Palestinian followers to launch an attack on him. Tyson was unaware of the fundraiser being for the Israeli Military. He was at the event at the behest of his friend. Nevertheless, that did not stop Mike Tyson from being criticized on social media.

Mike Tyson was recently in the corner of Francis Ngannou in Riyadh for the boxing bout against Tyson Fury. Tyson’s presence on Ngannou’s corner increased the event’s interest. However, Ngannou lost the bout via split decision. Tyson was praised for turning Ngannou into a formidable boxer in a relatively short amount of time.

Mike Tyson attended an Israel Defense Forces fundraiser in Miami

Friends of the Israel Defense Forces is a non-profit organization that is based in the US and Panama. Its purpose is to collect overseas funds for the IDF. At present, the funds are used to help the IDF in their pursuit to thwart Hamas, a terrorist organization in Gaza. Many celebrities have endorsed the fundraiser like Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Mike Tyson was in attendance at the recent fundraiser of the organization held in Miami, Florida. Controversial filmmaker Brett Ratner was also seen with Tyson at the event. Tyson is a Muslim revert, and his participation at the event caused a ruckus on social media. It forced Tyson to make a public apology on an Instagram story. However, that did not stop them from accusing Tyson of being a traitor of Islam.

This is not the first time that Tyson has been confronted for his faith. Khamzat Chimaev has confronted Tyson for straying away from the Islamic way. Chimaev said that Tyson’s religious views are ambiguous. One could also argue that Tyson has fought in wars and wants to live his life in his own way.

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