Yusuf Islam was removed from a London-to-Washington flight in September because of suspected links to terrorists - a claim he has strongly denied.
In November, he was awarded the "Man for Peace" prize in Rome by former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who praised him for charity work and standing by his convictions despite personal hardships.
Mr Islam says he has received "more apologies than you can count" from Americans embarrassed after their Government deported him.
"So, I'm quite satisfied with the spirit of most people and probably it was a mistake. But let's hope it will be solved soon. The lawyers are looking into it," he said.
Mr Islam says the binding powers of religions are essential in a post-9/11 world.
"Probably one of the biggest imperatives at this time would be for a greater understanding of the Islamic faith because of the tensions which have built up over the years due to the absence of any accurate information of where true beliefs unite humanity rather than divide," he said.
"I broke through many barriers in order to get through to Islam, and looking back I can see that there are problems in perception.
"But once you reach the great shores of wisdom there are so many beautiful approaches to the one uniting message of religions, which is peace and loving your brother, who you love as yourself."
Mr Islam, who cut his last pop album in 1978, says he is ready to write more songs to promote peace.
"Music is also a great cure and a great healer and I think the time has come probably to re-invest some more time in exploring my creative ideas and that's what I'm doing right now," he said.
"I've got a little tape recorder in my top pocket and I keep it with me. Ideas are flowing."
In 1990 and again in July 2000, he was detained upon arrival and deported from Israel.
5 comments:
I was trying to think of the right thing to post on this but the story itself speaks volumes and really needs no other comment.
And is it any wonder his name comes up on lists?
Why not change your last name to "Whackjob withabomb"
His name is probably on ever watch list world wide. And a lot of people probably don't know him as Cat Stevens.
No, Jim, it isn't. If your comments are based on the general hatred of all Muslims that many America espouse, then don't read any more of this comment. Because they prove your comment false and your hatred misguided.
Islamic singer Yusuf Islam, who enjoyed several pop hits under the name Cat Stevens before becoming a Muslim, has condemned the recent terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C.
"I wish to express my heartfelt horror at the
indiscriminate terrorist attacks committed against innocent people of the United States," Islam wrote. In his statement, Islam emphasized that the terrorists' actions contradict the peaceful teachings of Islam. "No right-thinking follower of Islam could possibly condone such an action," he wrote. "The Quran equates the murder of one innocent person with the murder of the whole of humanity."
Yusuf Islam
Guardian
Tuesday September 18, 2001
The playground stands bare and empty. Wind blows across the space where little children until recently chased, skipped and played. The gates of the first government-funded Muslim school in the UK were closed last week for two reasons: respect and caution.
With reports linking the atrocities at the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon to Muslim groups, the parents and children of Islamia primary school in north London have become possible targets of hate and harassment. There was a similar wave of anti-Muslim feeling after the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma in 1995, even though it was later discovered to be the foul work of a son of Uncle Sam himself, a home-grown, disaffected American radical. But media speculation had already pointed the finger at Muslims and the Arab world, and that meant ordinary citizens of the US and other western countries became easy prey for anti-faith hooligans. Shame.
As chairman of the board that runs the small one-form primary school, I decided, in consultation with teachers and parents, to shut the school for a few days, until the dust settles and people can see more clearly. But, sadly, the latest horror to hit the US looks to have been caused by people of Middle Eastern origin, bearing Muslim names. Again, shame. This fuels more hatred for a religion and a people who have nothing to do with these events. This is why I felt it necessary to write and explain some basic facts about this noble way we call Islam, before, God forbid, another disaster occurs - next time probably aimed at Muslims.
I came to Islam in my late 20s, during my searching period as a wandering pop star. I found a religion that blended scientific reason with spiritual reality in a unifying faith far removed from the headlines of violence, destruction and terrorism. One of the first interesting things I learned in the Koran was that the name of the faith comes from the word salam - peace. Far from the kind of Turko-Arab-centric message I expected, the Koran presented a belief in the universal existence of God, one God for all. It does not discriminate against peoples; it says we may be different colours and from different tribes, but we are all human and "the best of people are the most God-conscious".
Today, as a Muslim, I have been shattered by the horror of recent events; the display of death and indiscriminate killing we've all witnessed has dented humanity's confidence in itself. Terror on this scale affects everybody on this small planet, and no one is free from the fallout. Yet we should remember that such violence is almost an everyday occurrence in some Muslim lands: it should not be exacerbated by revenge attacks on more innocent families and communities.
Along with most British Muslims, I feel it a duty to make clear that such orchestrated acts of incomprehensible carnage have nothing to do with the beliefs of most Muslims. The Koran specifically declares: "If anyone murders an [innocent] person, it will be as if he has murdered the whole of humanity. And if anyone saves a person it will be as if he has saved the whole of humanity." British Muslims feel nothing but sympathy for those families who lost loved ones. I know people who were directly involved in the tragedy; my own brother, who lives in New Jersey, was going to fly out from Newark last week. In that respect we all feel the same. His comments are especially poignant considering the backlash Islam encountered when the British press reported that he supported Rushdie's death sentence, handed down by the Iranian leader because the author's novel "The Satanic Verses" allegedly blasphemed the Quran. In interviews last year to promote the re-release of his catalog, Islam said he was misquoted by the English media and did not support Khomeini.
The Gospels and the Torah are referred to; Jesus and Abraham are mentioned. In fact there is more mention in the Koran of the prophet Moses than of any other. It acknowledges the coexistence of other faiths, and in doing so acknowledges that other cultures can live together in peace. "There is no compulsion in religion," it states, meaning that people should not be compelled to change their faith. Elsewhere it states, "To you, your religion; to me mine." Respect for religious values and justice is at the Koran's core. The Koranic history we teach provides ample examples of interreligious and international relationships; of how to live together.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Ruined are those who insist on hardship in faith," and, "A believer remains within the scope of his religion as long as he doesn't kill another person illegally." Such knowledge and words of guidance are desperately needed at this time, to separate fact from falsehood, and to recognise the Last Prophet's own definition of that which makes a person representative, or otherwise, of the faith he lived and the one we try to teach."
Thank you so much for the well stated but far from breif "Shut Up!" Hatred for Muslims should be left to those people who choose to watch the religious channels and follow their doctrine that mulims are trying to take over the world
I'm constantly amazed by the anti-Muslim bias in this country. People don't know what to do with themselves without having an "enemy" who is out to get them.
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