[lit-ideas] Cat Stevens, International Terrier
- From: "Andreas Ramos" <andreas@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "Lit-Ideas" <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 22 Sep 2004 09:48:50 -0700
Jet Is Diverted to Detain Cat Stevens in Security Case
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.
----And the AP version:
/By LESLIE MILLER, Associated Press Writer/
WASHINGTON - A plane bound for Washington from London was diverted to
Maine on Tuesday after passenger Yusuf Islam - formerly known as pop
singer Cat Stevens - showed up on a U.S. watch list, federal officials
said.
"He was interviewed and denied admission to the United States on
national security grounds," said Homeland Security spokesman Dennis
Murphy. He said the man would be put on the first available flight out
of the country Wednesday.
Islam, who was born Stephen Georgiou, took Cat Stevens as a stage name
and had a string of hits in the 1960s and '70s, including "Wild World"
and "Morning Has Broken." Last year he released two songs, including a
re-recording of his '70s hit "Peace Train," to express his opposition
to the U.S.-led war in Iraq. Islam recently condemned the school seizure
by militants in Beslan, Russia, earlier this month that left more than
300 dead, nearly half of them children.
In a statement on his Web site, he wrote, "Crimes against innocent
bystanders taken hostage in any circumstance have no foundation
whatsoever in the life of Islam and the model example of Prophet
Muhammad, peace be upon him."
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