Muhammad Ali was a one-of-a-kind boxing icon, and his star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame is no exception.

Ali’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is the only one of the 2,500 that is not placed on the sidewalk. It’s not just because the greatest of all time earned it; it’s also because of his religious convictions and everlasting pride in being a Muslim.

Ali had first turned down an opportunity to get a star from the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce because he didn’t want his name and everything it stood for to be insulted by “people who have no respect for me.”

While neighboring stars of Steven Spielberg, Halle Berry, and Nicole Kidman occupy the Walk of Fame sidewalk, the engraved star, which was bestowed in 2002, stands alone on a wall.

Ali did not want people to walk on his name, citing the Prophet Muhammad. Ali became a Muslim in the 1960s.

“I bear the name of our beloved prophet Mohammad, and it is impossible that I allow people to trample over his name,” Ali declared at the time. He didn’t want to be walked on by “people who have no respect for me.”

Being a Muslim in the United States is difficult for a variety of reasons that go well beyond the views of a few celebrities, and Ali made it easier to be a Muslim in a society that has never truly seen the religion positively.

Ali “did not want the name of Muhammad to be stepped on,” according to Ana Martinez, the producer of the Walk of Fame ceremonies, so in 2002, Ali’s star was ceremoniously presented on an easel (rather than being unveiled on the ground like the others) and then hung on the wall at the entrance to what is now known as the Dolby Theatre.

Arash Markazi of ESPN explains why this gesture meant so much to him and other Muslims in America.

“It was never harder being a Muslim than after Sept. 11, 2001. Islam was no longer thought of as a religion, but as a terrorist group of radical followers. It was Ali who took it upon himself to stand up and speak out, during a time when Parkinson’s had made it hard for him to do either. “Islam is a religion of peace. It does not promote terrorism or killing people,” Ali said. “People say a Muslim caused this destruction. I am angry that the world sees a certain group of Islam followers who caused this destruction, but they are not real Muslims. They are racist fanatics who call themselves Muslims, permitting this murder of thousands.”

“I wish people would love everybody else the way they love me,” Ali once said. “It would be a better world.”

Martinez explains why Ali was given an award that is usually given to filmmakers, performers, and musicians: “He was a showman. He had two Grammy-nominated spoken word albums. He was an entertainer, as well.”

Martinez laid a wreath of flowers at Ali’s gravesite and gave his family a note that said, “Float like a butterfly. Rest in peace, Mr. Ali .” S ecurity staff assisted a queue of fans who came to take selfies, leave flowers, and frequently stand with clinched fists in front of the star all day Saturday.

Meanwhile, just down the boulevard from this wonderful, essential story, sits Donald Trump’s star (who questioned the reality of Muslim-American sports heroes and was swiftly shot down by Ali and Kareem-Abdul Jabbar), which is routinely spray-painted with quasi-swastikas and physically pooped on.