In today's NYTimes:
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September 22, 2004
Flight Is Diverted to Detain Former Pop Singer
By MATTHEW L. WALD

WASHINGTON, Sept. 21 - The Department of Homeland Security ordered a United Airlines jet flying from London to Washington rerouted to Bangor, Me., on Tuesday afternoon so it could intercept a passenger, Yusuf Islam, the musician formerly known as Cat Stevens, two government officials said.

Mr. Islam was "denied entry into the United States," said an official, and was in the custody of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. The plan on Tuesday evening was to deport Mr. Islam, who is a British subject, the officials said.

The officials, both of whom said they could not be named because this was a security issue, said Mr. Islam was a financial supporter of groups believed to be linked to terrorism. Mr. Islam's Web site lists him as a supporter of many charities.

Since converting to Islam in 1977 and renouncing his former identity as a pop singer who sold 25 million albums, Mr. Islam has been quoted making contradictory statements about various issues in the Muslim world.

At one point he appeared to support the death sentence pronounced by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the Iranian leader, in 1989, against the author Salman Rushdie for his novel "The Satanic Verses." Though he said at another point that he did not support the ayatollah's edict, his anti-Rushdie comment drew wide criticism.

After the interception of Mr. Islam on Tuesday, one of the government officials said, "He is not on a watch list for making verbal threats."

Mr. Islam was deported from Israel in July 2000 because he was believed to be a supporter of Hamas, the terrorist group.

On Tuesday Mr. Islam was on a Boeing 747-400 with 249 passengers aboard. After it was diverted, the plane was kept on the ground for more than three hours.
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Does anyone know anything more about the charities that he supports? Whether there is truth to these allegations? I've got some reading to do - but my gut feeling is that Yusuf Islam is not a threat to the US... and I am wondering how many people are detained or turned away on this type of charge.

I don't have any info in this, but I would be willing to be it's along the lines of harrassing various mosques because they've given money to various charities that turned out to be a front for terrorist activities. Doesn't mean the mosque (or Mr. Islam) INTENDED to support or contribute to terrorists.

To me it would be like giving money to United Way thinking that I was doing a good thing and finding out later they supported or gave money to the Michigan Militia or an anti-abortion group or other such groups that I would not ever endorse or support.

I don't know who Cat Stevens contributes to either, but I do recall reading more than once about him speaking out in favor of the Rushdie execution. That by itself, of course, doesn't make him a threat to the US.

But the story isn't surprising. Last June, my 16-year-old daughter was returning from Europe, flying from Rome to Newark to Detroit to here. When boarding one of the connecting flights, she was stopped & asked why she was bringing a sharp object onto the plane. The "sharp object" in question was a replica of the Eiffel Tower, purchased there.

Interesting stuff here

http://www.yusufislam.org.uk/index.shtml

Cat claims he never "supported" the Rushdie threat. He tried to explain why those who agree with the threat think it just, but he claims to not support it. I personally believe him to be a good man, but I know nothing of his charities.

I am saddened beyond belief that such an amazing artist was silenced by fundamentalist religion. He gave joy and positive messagees to millions through his art, and he threw it away. I'll never understand his decision.

But hey, to me, all religion is pretty suspect. Faith good. Putting a bunch of people together to proscletize to others? No thanks.

I heard about this & it's sad cuz he seemed like such a peace lover. I remember him & the Rushdie stuff. I remember them saying that a bunch of folks were upset over him being against Rushdie & were having burnings of his record albums... They sing his Morning Has Broken song in church...

Thanks Terrie,It's outragous, I will never believe he would support terrorists. I would have to be shown proof in black and white before I would believe it. This is scarey,like blacklisting and stuff. I wonder if we Blunderites are on THE LIST because we are Arlo,Woody,Pete et al fans ????
Oh well, only six weeks to go. I'm registered
and waiting for my absentee ballot.
We're still "the people" it's in our hands.
The election for Prime Minister is on here on the 9th of October, both of my countries are in the hands of "the people".

Louise, you'll be in the "back pocket" when you're voting, which means a lot of Blunderites will be in the very best place for generating strong Blundervibes. We'll send them to Oz in support of a successful (i.e., your candidate wins) election.

I saw something on him on the news & he said he had nothing to do with terrorists. Hopefully things will get straightened out for him...

i don't know either...

this just in:

trash pile terrorist being sought by government officials.
identity unknown.

As Jon Stewart said on his show, "Thank God they got the guy who wrote Peace Train!" Can't have people like that running around loose.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>September 25th, 2004
YUSUF ISLAM'S OFFICIAL STATEMENT
First, I thank God for relieving me of my ordeal and delivering me home safe; also, thanks to all those who prayed for me and supported me through this whole dark episode, from eminent politicians, the press and religious leaders, to plain, everyday people. Never would I believe that such a thing could happen in the ‘land of the free’ - unfortunately, it did. But it’s warming to have such a wave of sympathy from my friends and my worldwide well-wishers.

After the experience of my dramatic deportation from the U.S.A. it feels like I am on a different planet from the one I was on a couple of days ago; certainly the world has changed, not for the best. Two days beforehand, I had started a journey with my daughter to Nashville, intending to initiate work on a new recording project. Suddenly, our aeroplane was diverted 600 miles to Bangor International Airport and I found myself surrounded by six uniformed officers and handed over to the FBI for questioning.

The most upsetting thing at this point was being separated from my daughter, Maymanah, not knowing how she was or when and where we might be united. And since my phone was confiscated I couldn’t contact my family (nor could they ring me) and they were relegated to watching the whole frightening episode on TV and surviving on scraps of information shown by the media.

My interrogators repeatedly wanted to know how my name was spelt; it sounded to me as though they had it mixed up with someone else’s. Security officers finally told me that my name was on a ‘No Fly List’, I was classified as ‘Inadmissible’, and sent back to London.

The amazing thing is that I was not given (and have still not been given) any explanation whatsoever as to what it is I am accused of, or why I am now deemed an apparent security threat - let alone given an opportunity to respond to these allegations. I was simply told that the order had come from ‘on high’.

We have now initiated a legal process to try to find out exactly what is going on, and to take all necessary steps to undo the very serious, and wholly unfounded, injustice which I have suffered.
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Hope everything gets straightened out okay for him...

Who says spelling isn't important...

"You say Yusuf, I say Youssouf" - Time Magazine

So it wasn't Cat Stevens they had a problem with, after all.... though he got caught in the middle.

He shoulda just kept going by his given name, Cat Stevens.