From: wc4209@writer.yorku.ca (Irene Berkovich)
Subject: Cat Steven's visit to Israel (& concert!)
Originator: wc4209@innis
Organization: Computer Assisted Writing Centre, York University, Toronto, Canada
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1993 03:37:54 GMT





Like I said, Cat Stevens did visit Israel.  See source below.

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NEWSDAY (ND) - Wednesday July 27, 1988
Edition: NASSAU AND SUFFOLK  Section: NEWS  Page: 09


     SURPRISE  CONCERT: Former pop singer Cat Stevens, who changed his name
to  Yussuf Islam after becoming a Moslem, staged an impromptu concert at an
Islamic festival in Israel, Israel Television reported yesterday.

    The television showed the black-bearded Stevens wearing the traditional
Islamic  clothing  and singing in Arabic and English to a crowd of chanting
Moslems in the biblical Galilee village of Kafr Kanna.

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Here is another article referring to the incident in 1990 when Mr. Islam 
was refused entry into Israel.  Most countries will refuse entry to 
individuals contributing materially to terrorist groups bent on murdering 
their citizens like Hamas sets out to do.  A neo-Nazi would also be barred.

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NEWSDAY (ND) - Monday July 2, 1990
By: Edited by Al Cohn
Edition: NASSAU AND SUFFOLK  Section: NEWS  Page: 08


Cat Stevens

Israel Bars Ex-Singer as 'Undesirable'

    Former  pop  singer  Cat  Stevens, now known as Yusuf Islam, was barred
from entering Israel  yesterday by passport officials.

    Airport officials said Islam, who took his name after converting to the
Moslem faith, was turned away as "an undesirable" along with his 8-year-old
son,  Mohammed,  after  their  British  Airways  jet  landed  about 4 a.m.,
according to The Associated Press.

    They  were  met by passport officials and held at the airport for about
four hours until the flight returned to London, officials said.

    One  official,  who  spoke on condition of anonymity, said the passport
agents were acting on instructions from the Interior Ministry.
    Airport   officials  said  they  turned  away  Islam  for  his  alleged
preachings against the Jewish nation.

    Islam,  a  British  citizen  born Stephen Demetri Georgiou, gave up his
singing career a decade ago after his religious conversion. He had a string
of  hits  in  the  early  1970s,  including  "Peace Train" and "Morning Has
Broken."

    He has been in the headlines recently for supporting the death sentence
issued by Iran against author Salman Rushdie.

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(Not your average Moslem tourist by any means)

Speaking of barring individuals from countries, most if not all of the 
Arab countries bar all Jews from visiting their countries.  Some will 
make exceptions for important politicians (like Kissinger), or for 
Jewish soldiers defending Arab countries (like in operation Desert 
Storm).

Anyone care to defend this blatant Arab racism?

Xref: sparky talk.politics.mideast:23854 talk.politics.soviet:9888 soc.culture.greek:11721 soc.culture.europe:10676 soc.history:10296 soc.culture.soviet:11368