"Cat Stevens" got a visa for America?!?! But Bush is pissed.

[redirish28]

Glad to see him here.

[davidinalameda]

1. you do remember his statements about Salman Rushdie

don't you?

[uppityperson]

2. Did you say anything in 1989 that you now regret or think stupid?

[davidinalameda]

3. I certainly didn't call for the death of anyone for writing a book

[uppityperson]

4. Guess you missed all the articles of him talking about what he meant, how he was wrong, how he was

taken. Easier to hold a grudge I guess.

Edited to add links and article
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=9421233&mesg_id=9421389
http://www.mountainoflight.co.uk/talks_cw.html#18

never called for the death of Salman Rushdie; nor backed the Fatwa issued by the Ayatollah Khomeini - and still don’t. The book itself destroyed the harmony between peoples and created an unnecessary international crisis.

When asked about my opinion regarding blasphemy, I could not tell a lie and confirmed that - like both the Torah and the Gospel - the Qur’an considers it, without repentance, as a capital offense. The Bible is full of similar harsh laws if you’re looking for them.<13> However, the application of such Biblical and Qur’anic injunctions is not to be outside of due process of law, in a place or land where such law is accepted and applied by the society as a whole.

The accusation that I supported the Fatwa, therefore, is wholly false and misleading. It was due to my naivety in trying to answer a loaded question posed by a journalist, after a harmless biographical lecture I gave to students in Kingston University in 1989, which unleashed the infamous headline above.

To indicate my actual stance about this matter before this front-page controversy erupted, it’s useful to quote a letter of complaint I sent to Viking, a subsidiary of Penguin Books, the publishers, on 8th October, 1989. This was after I had been sent a preview of the text of Satanic Verses:

“I wish to express my deepest outrage at the insensitivity of Penguin Books in Publishing Salman Rushdie’s book, ‘Satanic Verses’, This book is clearly blasphemous in nature and so deeply offensive to the Muslim Community… I urge you to give the contents of this letter your most urgent attention and take a responsible decision.”

Some years later I re-entered the studio to produce a spoken-word recording, The Life of the Last Prophet, my first official album after seventeen years. During its launch at a press conference I said:
“The Satanic Verses was Salman Rushdie’s view of the Prophet of Islam; The Life Of The Last Prophet (s) is mine! Rushdie’s book, by his own confession, is based on fiction - mine is based on facts! Therefore people are free; they now have a choice, so let them listen and see who they are more inclined to believe...”


As can be seen from the above, my personal response was significantly different from the fables and myths which have been circulated by the media.

Sad too that no matter how many times I’ve repeatedly tried to explain my true position, journalists inevitably bring up this subject again and again; as if it was the only memorable thing I was reported to have done in my almost sixty years living on this planet (yawn).

[bigtree]

6. don't bother.

the poster's content spreading the lie.

[davidinalameda]

8. and I guess you missed that he wanted the fataw to go through proper channels

sad that anyone on DU would defend someone like this

[uppityperson]

10. "The accusation that I supported the Fatwa, therefore, is wholly false and misleading."

"The accusation that I supported the Fatwa, therefore, is wholly false and misleading. It was due to my naivety in trying to answer a loaded question posed by a journalist, after a harmless biographical lecture I gave to students in Kingston University in 1989, which unleashed the infamous headline above."
http://www.mountainoflight.co.uk/talks_cw.html#18

[Nye Bevan]

27. "He must be killed. The Qur'an makes it clear - if someone defames the prophet, then he must die."

So did he say that or not? If not, someone should edit the Wikipedia page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Stevens%27_comments_about_Salman_Rushdie

[bigtree]

11. sad that you haven't presented a shred of evidence

Yusef:

"I never called for the death of Salman Rushdie; nor backed the Fatwa issued by the Ayatollah Khomeini - and still don’t . . .


When asked about my opinion regarding blasphemy, I could not tell a lie and confirmed that - like both the Torah and the Gospel - the Qur’an considers it, without repentance, as a capital offense. The Bible is full of similar harsh laws if you’re looking for them.<13> However, the application of such Biblical and Qur’anic injunctions is not to be outside of due process of law, in a place or land where such law is accepted and applied by the society as a whole.

The accusation that I supported the Fatwa, therefore, is wholly false and misleading. It was due to my naivety in trying to answer a loaded question posed by a journalist, after a harmless biographical lecture I gave to students in Kingston University in 1989, which unleashed the infamous headline above.

more: http://www.mountainoflight.co.uk/talks_cw.html#10

[Bluenorthwest]

30. The Gospels do not teach that blasphmey is a capital offense.

They say God will not take it well. The NT does not teach execution for heresy nor any other punishment for such crimes other that that which is says will be given by God in judgment.
That is false. False. And I am not a religious person, but the facts are the facts.

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Tansy_Gold]

18. .

Suggesting that those who believe in the concept of "blasphemy" should be dropped from planes (like what Argentine and Chilean dictators did to dissidents) is insensitive. I'm an atheist, a total non-believer, and I wouldn't even begin to think such a thing.

TG, NTY

[Name removed]

19. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Tansy_Gold]

20. Do you then not support the Bill of Rights?

The First Amendment guarantees freedom of individuals to believe however and whatever they wish to believe. (Provided, of course, that the practice of those beliefs does not infringe upon the rights of others.)

So you are saying that anyone who actually believes in the concept of blasphemy, even though they be in every other way a good person -- obeying the laws, being a productive member of society, being a good parent, or whatever -- they should be sequestered from "rational" beings? Do you equate them, solely on the basis of their belief, with child molesters?



TG

[MH1]

21. I still love Cat Stevens' music (from when he was Cat Stevens)

but the views of Yusuf Islam, not so much. For instance the idea that nothing should ever be published that might be 'offensive' to someone (never mind how offensive the ACTUAL BEHAVIOR of many who call themselves Muslim is to the women who are victimized and any man of reason and sense)

Yeah flame away, it just seems that of all the things to be 'offended' by, a second-rate book by an author many had never heard of prior to the poutrage, is pretty damn small compared to the real offenses going on in this world. And it seems from someone who once preached peace, he could have responded a hell of a lot better.

But ya know he isn't Sarah Palin and he isn't a republican, so I guess if he wanted a book banned (what else could he have meant by 'take a responsible decision'?) it is no big deal.

[redirish28]

5. So you live in a glass house? Have nothing bad in your past?

Granted it may not have been right... BUT this is America where people do have the right to say stupid things. 1st amendment? remember that thing?

[davidinalameda]

9. never called for the death of anyone

and if this had been a Christian or a Jew who said the same thing, people on here would have condemned the comments

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[davidinalameda]

22. bullshit

he called for the death of Rushie because of the a book

[rug]

24. I'm glad to hear you don't support the war in Aghanistan.

[sabrina 1]

7. I think you just won Steve Colbert's Medal of Fear!

{{{{{{{fear of something that was said 30 years ago}}}}}}

Yep, I definitely think this is what Colbert is looking for!

[LawnLover]

12. He has denied that he was calling for Rushdie's death

and that the video tape was edited to make him look as if he was. We've never seen that before, have we?

He has been denying this since that time, yet the story persists.

[Gabi Hayes]

14. so does the story about Obama the Muslim, born in Kenya. so does the

story about Clinton having Vince Foster murdered

buying into those, too?

[LawnLover]

15. Not sure I get your point

Cat Stevens has long denied that he was calling for Rushdie's death. Apparently from the day the story came out.

We have seen videotape edited before -- just recently, in fact, by Fox News, by Republican operatives, etc. -- so Stevens's denial is plausible.

What does any of that have to do with Obama or Clinton?

Here's Stevens's words on the matter from his own website:

http://www.yusufislam.com/faq/3ed8ab9cb40dcd15dc38b7f0efc2f696

[siligut]

17. It seems the negative news about Cat Stevens, now Yusuf, was skewed.

He was on the no fly list back in 2004, but believes it was an error due to his new name "Yusuf". Anyway, anything that irritates Bush is good. I had forgotten how good Yusuf's music is. This rally is amazing.

[davidinalameda]

23. anything?

[Motown_Johnny]

28. Delete, should have linked to OP

[deacon]

25. He's been back quite a while working with paul macartney, bob dylans son, dolly parton

and a slew of others on music projects. His daughter I think is in the music business too if I'm not mistaken.

[deacon]

Stewarts rally was about disinformation. That may well be why he asked him to be there as a symbol

on how media destroys people.

[deacon]

26. Post doubled. Self Delete.

[Motown_Johnny]

29. he was on Colbert's on 5/14/09 after the release of his "album" "Road singer"

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/227669/may-14-2009/yusuf



worth watching if you are a fan

[Bluenorthwest]

31. I was pleased to see Yushuf smile and sound so great

also that he felt the freedom to play with the comedy and the joy of the day. What a wonderful artist he is, and his music, although he felt for years it was not so, has always been sacred in nature. His songs have always called to the best parts of our humanity, and always longed for divine truth. Even when he was not religious, his music was always kind of holy. I think he became a Muslim, but his music always was.
I wish him great peace and joy. His music has been very important to many people, and those songs did nothing but good for those who heard them. His voice just vibrates with the love eternal, and that is a gift not of his own making.

[Jamastiene]

32. Just what we need.

Another homophobe in America. :eyes: