Yusuf Islam Now: Cat Stevens on Islam and His Return to Music - Rolling Stone PHOTOS: Cat Stevens' Road to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame From his young debut to his Seventies smashes to his return to the world stage It's now eight months later, and Yusuf, 66, is sipping tea in a conference room high atop the Sony Building in midtown Manhattan. His ever-present bodyguard, a beefy dude who stands at least six feet four, is perched on a nearby piano bench. Yusuf's 29-year-old son, Yoriyos, is seated and gazing at a laptop. Yusuf's salt-and-pepper hair is saltier than ever, and he's wearing sunglasses, a gray peace train 2011 T-shirt and a stylish blue jacket. More than at any other point since his return to secular music eight years ago, he looks like a rock star. Yusuf is relaxed and friendly, but everyone else seems a little on edge. His son anxiously looks up from his laptop when the conversation veers from music, and two publicists sit outside the door.

Prior to the interview, they urged me to be "sensitive" when it comes to "religion and past controversies." The conversation starts on solid ground: Tell 'Em I'm Gone, Yusuf's R&B-flavored new LP, his third disc since 2006. Yusuf moved to Dubai in 2010 ("I like the sunshine") but traveled to Los Angeles to cut the album with Rick Rubin. "We did the whole thing in a week," Yusuf says. "A couple of songs were first takes. I don't like hanging around studios. There was a couple of times where he wanted to go over bits again, and I said, 'I've done it, Rick. I don't want to do it again.' " Yusuf recently wrapped his first North American tour since 1976. A show at New York's Beacon Theatre was guaranteed to sell out, though he canceled it when he learned that New York outlawed paperless ticketing, causing tickets to sell for hugely inflated values on the resale market. "It just institutionalizes the scalping business, and that's not fair," Yusuf says.

The Beacon cancellation is just the latest bold, principled and (many feel) self-defeating move of Yusuf's long career. He was born Steven Demetre Georgiou in London, the son of a Greek father and Swedish mother. Georgiou came of age just as his hometown was becoming the center of the rock universe. "I was very lucky," he says. "I lived on the same street as the 100 Club, and [Beatles publisher] Dick James Music was four doors down from my father's cafe. Everything was in this small radius in the West End of London." "I was never a supporter of the fatwa [against Rushdie], but people don't want to hear that" Hearing Bob Dylan for the first time changed his life. The 18-year-old Georgiou began playing London coffeehouses under the name Cat Stevens and penning future classics like "The First Cut Is the Deepest." A case of tuberculosis in 1968 nearly killed him, but his career exploded in 1970 when "Father and Son" and "Wild World" hit radio. It was the era of the sensitive singer-songwriter, and Stevens fit right in on the airwaves next to James Taylor and Carly Simon.

Even when he became a superstar, Stevens had a hard time enjoying himself – tuberculosis helped see to that. "TB is a very bluesy kind of illness," he says. "I did LSD a few times, but I stayed away from the rock-star life because I was so worried about my health. I became a vegetarian, and I carried around a suitcase full of vitamins and special drinks everywhere I went." Yusuf Islam in 1975. George Wilkes/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Everything changed one day in 1976, when Stevens went for a swim in the ocean near Malibu. As he tried to swim back to shore, he realized the current was too strong to fight, and after struggling for a time he found himself on the verge of drowning. "I didn't have any strength left," says Yusuf. "There was only one place to go, and that was God. I never doubted God's existence, but I never called on him because everything had seemed all right in my life. This was life-and-death." He pledged his complete and utter allegiance to God if he'd save him, and suddenly a wave pushed him to shore. Not long afterward, his brother David gave him a copy of the Quran.

"This was before Islam was a headline," Yusuf says. "The Iranian Revolution wasn't even on the horizon. I felt like I was discovering something that was an amazing and immense secret." Within two years, Cat Stevens had become Yusuf Islam. He devoted himself to Allah, deciding all forms of music were against the faith. He walked away from a record contract and sold all of his guitars. His sole income came from publishing, but he gave away royalties from any song he declared anti-God: "Anything that encouraged love without marriage or was too specific in the sexual region went." It amounted to about 40 percent of his catalog. "Take 'The Boy With a Moon and Star on His Head.' You might think it's OK, but the guy makes love to a farmer's daughter on the way to his wedding. So, no. . . ." Yusuf lost touch with the music world. "I vaguely knew things like Madonna, MTV and Michael Jackson were happening, but I was not interested at all," he says.

"As far as I was concerned, the last great record was Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life." Yusuf focused on his growing family, a series of Muslim schools he founded across England, and Small Kindness, a charity he put together to assist the victims of war and famine in the Third World. Over the years, Yusuf's children tried in vain to get him to begin playing guitar again. Then, a few months after 9/11, Yusuf found himself holding an acoustic guitar his son had brought home. It was late at night, and his family was asleep. "I just thought, 'Let's have a go and try,' " he says. "I looked for F, and I found it. I don't remember what songs I played, but when it was done I began crying." Yusuf was conflicted about playing again, but the war in Afghanistan was raging and another conflict was looming in Iraq. Yusuf says that the world needed to see at least one nonviolent Muslim on TV. "There was so much antagonism in the world," he says. "Many Muslims have come up to me, shook my hand and said, 'Thank you! Thank you.' I'm representing the way they want to be seen.

So much of the middle ground gets forgotten in the extremities we witness around the world." Yusuf Islam playing in London in 2009. Samir Hussein/Getty Images Yusuf quietly began gigging around Europe and played a couple of tiny showcases in America. He didn't face a big crowd until Jon Stewart invited him to appear at 2010's Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear. Yusuf was taking part in a hilarious bit – he performed "Peace Train" while Ozzy Osbourne performed "Crazy Train" – but it also reignited a controversy that's been haunting Yusuf for a quarter-century. After the Ayatollah Khomeini declared a fatwa against author Salman Rushdie in 1989, Yusuf had told a crowd at London's Kingston University that "[Rushdie] must be killed. The Quran makes it clear: If someone defames the prophet, then he must die." Yusuf later partially walked the comments back, but the issue refused to die. When Rushdie heard about Yusuf goofing around with Osbourne, he phoned Stewart in a huff.

"It became very clear to me that [Yusuf] is straddling two worlds in a very difficult way," Stewart said two years ago. "I wouldn't have done [the bit], I don't think, if I had known that. . . . Death for free speech is a deal-breaker." It's still a sensitive subject for Yusuf. When I broach it, his son looks up, concerned. "People need to get over it," says a clearly irritated Yusuf. "It's 25 years ago. I've got gray hair now. Come on. I was fool enough to try and be honest and tell people my position. As far as I'm concerned, this shouldn't be the subject of my life." That appears to be the end of it, and Yoriyos looks relieved. But Yusuf can't help himself. "I'm a firm believer in the law," he says. "I was never a supporter of the fatwa [against Rushdie], but people don't want to hear that because they keep saying that I believe in the law of blasphemy. All I'm saying is, how can you deny the Third Commandment?

It's an Islamic principle that you must follow the law of the land where you reside." Unapologetic answers like that are what make Rushdie and his many supporters unable to forgive Yusuf, and he knows their feud will never end. "That's the way life is," he says. "I don't want to put myself in this bracket, but if you look at any messenger, there's going to be an antagonist." One song on Yusuf's new album seems to take aim at the controversy: "Cat and the Dog Trap." "Cat's in a cage," he sings. "Chained to a stone/Empty bowl by his side." Yusuf admits the song is autobiographical, but he refuses to ID the inspiration behind the antagonistic dog, though Rushdie is a likely suspect. "I used to be followed by a moon shadow," Yusuf says when pushed on the topic. "Now I'm followed by all these misconceptions, and they're like a ball and chain.

I just want to write music from my heart and give people a message of hope and the search for a better place." The ISIS threat has brought America to the verge of yet another war in Iraq, but it has made Yusuf oddly optimistic: "The positive side is that it has brought together these factional voices to say in unison that [ISIS] has nothing to do with Islam. Muslims have been subjected to so many tyrants and oppressive regimes. That's what the Arab Spring was about, but the problem comes in trying to direct a revolution." Tickets for Yusuf's upcoming American shows read "Yusuf/Cat Stevens" – a concession to fans of his classic albums, and the move of a man who has grown increasingly comfortable with his past. "When you've been running for so long, you might realize you've run too far," he says. "There comes a time to say, 'Hang on. I've lost my way a little bit.' " Don’t Miss a Story Sign up for our newsletter to receive breaking news directly in your inbox. We may use your e-mail address to send you the newsletter and offers that may interest you, on behalf of Rolling Stone and its partners.

For more information please read our Privacy Policy How we use your email address Trending Ranked on a scale from 1 to 10, the trending score reflects the number of users reading a story in real time. What is this? Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens) - يوسف إسلام - Anasheed on Assabile Biography of Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens) Yusuf Islam, formerly Cat Stevens, is a British Muslim chanter born on 21 July 1948. Virtuoso of many instruments, singer-songwriter, Yusuf Islam was first known by his former stage name Cat Stevens. He was also prominent for his conversion to Islam at the peak of his artistic career in 1976. Following his conversion, Yusuf Islam gave up his career as pop star and devoted himself to philanthropic and educational causes in the Muslim communities. He founded numerous Islamic schools like Islamic Primary School in 1981 and vowed his fortune to promote Islamic education and charitable actions. Yusuf Islam’s return to the public spotlight was in 1985, at the Live Aid concert dedicated to Ethiopian children. For several years, accompanied solely by drums and percussive instruments, Yusuf only sang lyrics about Islamic themes.

Later, his experience with Raihan group on “God Is the Light” introduced him to nasheed’s style. In 2000, Yusuf wrote and produced a children's album “A Is for Allah”. Later on, albums succeeded and Yusuf Islam gave performances in many countries. The latest was at the Peace One Day concert at the Royal Albert Hall on September 21, 2007. Yusuf Islam is married to Fauzia Mubarak Ali since September 1979 and has five children. In the Name of Allah, most Compassionate, most Merciful How I came to Islam - by Yusuf Islam From Musician to Muslim by Allah's Will All I have to say is all what you know already, to confirm what you already know, the message of the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) as given by God - the Religion of Truth. As human beings we are given a consciousness and a duty that has placed us at the top of creation. Man is created to be God's deputy on earth, and it is important to realize the obligation to rid ourselves of all illusions and to make our lives a preparation for the next life.

Anybody who misses this chance is not likely to be given another, to be brought back again and again, because it says in Qur'an Majeed that when man is brought to account, he will say, "O Lord, send us back and give us another chance." The Lord will say, "If I send you back you will do the same." MY EARLY RELIGIOUS UPBRINGING I was brought up in the modern world of all the luxury and the high life of show business. I was born in a Christian home, but we know that every child is born in his original nature - it is only his parents that turn him to this or that religion. I was given this religion (Christianity) and thought this way. I was taught that God exists, but there was no direct contact with God, so we had to make contact with Him through Jesus - he was in fact the door to God. This was more or less accepted by me, but I did not swallow it all. I looked at some of the statues of Jesus; they were just stones with no life. And when they said that God is three, I was puzzled even more but could not argue.

I more or less believed it, because I had to have respect for the faith of my parents. POP STAR Gradually I became alienated from this religious upbringing. I started making music. I wanted to be a big star. All those things I saw in the films and on the media took hold of me, and perhaps I thought this was my God, the goal of making money. I had an uncle who had a beautiful car. "Well," I said, "he has it made. He has a lot of money." The people around me influenced me to think that this was it; this world was their God. I decided then that this was the life for me; to make a lot of money, have a 'great life.' Now my examples were the pop stars. I started making songs, but deep down I had a feeling for humanity, a feeling that if I became rich I would help the needy. (It says in the Qur'an, we make a promise, but when we make something, we want to hold onto it and become greedy.) So what happened was that I became very famous. I was still a teenager, my name and photo were splashed in all the media.

They made me larger than life, so I wanted to live larger than life and the only way to do that was to be intoxicated (with liquor and drugs). IN HOSPITAL After a year of financial success and 'high' living, I became very ill, contracted TB and had to be hospitalized. It was then that I started to think: What was to happen to me? Was I just a body, and my goal in life was merely to satisfy this body? I realized now that this calamity was a blessing given to me by Allah, a chance to open my eyes - "Why am I here? Why am I in bed?" - and I started looking for some of the answers. At that time there was great interest in the Eastern mysticism. I began reading, and the first thing I began to become aware of was death, and that the soul moves on; it does not stop. I felt I was taking the road to bliss and high accomplishment. I started meditating and even became a vegetarian. I now believed in 'peace and flower power,' and this was the general trend. But what I did believe in particular was that I was not just a body. This awareness came to me at the hospital.

One day when I was walking and I was caught in the rain, I began running to the shelter and then I realized, 'Wait a minute, my body is getting wet, my body is telling me I am getting wet.' This made me think of a saying that the body is like a donkey, and it has to be trained where it has to go. Otherwise, the donkey will lead you where it wants to go. Then I realized I had a will, a God-given gift: follow the will of God. I was fascinated by the new terminology I was learning in the Eastern religion. By now I was fed up with Christianity. I started making music again and this time I started reflecting my own thoughts. I remember the lyric of one of my songs. It goes like this: "I wish I knew, I wish I knew what makes the Heaven, what makes the Hell. Do I get to know You in my bed or some dusty cell while others reach the big hotel?" and I knew I was on the Path. I also wrote another song, "The Way to Find God Out." I became even more famous in the world of music.

I really had a difficult time because I was getting rich and famous, and at the same time, I was sincerely searching for the Truth. Then I came to a stage where I decided that Buddhism is all right and noble, but I was not ready to leave the world. I was too attached to the world and was not prepared to become a monk and to isolate myself from society. I tried Zen and Ching, numerology, tarot cards and astrology. I tried to look back into the Bible and could not find anything. At this time I did not know anything about Islam, and then, what I regarded as a miracle occurred. My brother had visited the mosque in Jerusalem and was greatly impressed that while on the one hand it throbbed with life (unlike the churches and synagogues which were empty), on the other hand, an atmosphere of peace and tranquility prevailed. THE QUR'AN When he came to London he brought back a translation of the Qur'an, which he gave to me. He did not become a Muslim, but he felt something in this religion, and thought I might find something in it also.

And when I received the book, a guidance that would explain everything to me - who I was; what was the purpose of life; what was the reality and what would be the reality; and where I came from - I realized that this was the true religion; religion not in the sense the West understands it, not the type for only your old age. In the West, whoever wishes to embrace a religion and make it his only way of life is deemed a fanatic. I was not a fanatic, I was at first confused between the body and the soul. Then I realized that the body and soul are not apart and you don't have to go to the mountain to be religious. We must follow the will of God. Then we can rise higher than the angels. The first thing I wanted to do now was to be a Muslim. I realized that everything belongs to God, that slumber does not overtake Him. He created everything. At this point I began to lose the pride in me, because hereto I had thought the reason I was here was because of my own greatness.

But I realized that I did not create myself, and the whole purpose of my being here was to submit to the teaching that has been perfected by the religion we know as Al-Islam. At this point I started discovering my faith. I felt I was a Muslim. On reading the Qur'an, I now realized that all the Prophets sent by God brought the same message. Why then were the Jews and Christians different? I know now how the Jews did not accept Jesus as the Messiah and that they had changed His Word. Even the Christians misunderstand God's Word and called Jesus the son of God. Everything made so much sense. This is the beauty of the Qur'an; it asks you to reflect and reason, and not to worship the sun or moon but the One Who has created everything. The Qur'an asks man to reflect upon the sun and moon and God's creation in general. Do you realize how different the sun is from the moon? They are at varying distances from the earth, yet appear the same size to us; at times one seems to overlap the other. Even when many of the astronauts go to space, they see the insignificant size of the earth and vastness of space. They become very religious, because they have seen the Signs of Allah.

When I read the Qur'an further, it talked about prayer, kindness and charity. I was not a Muslim yet, but I felt that the only answer for me was the Qur'an, and God had sent it to me, and I kept it a secret. But the Qur'an also speaks on different levels. I began to understand it on another level, where the Qur'an says, "Those who believe do not take disbelievers for friends and the believers are brothers." Thus at this point I wished to meet my Muslim brothers. CONVERSION Then I decided to journey to Jerusalem (as my brother had done). At Jerusalem, I went to the mosque and sat down. A man asked me what I wanted. I told him I was a Muslim. He asked what was my name. I told him, "Stevens." He was confused. I then joined the prayer, though not so successfully. Back in London, I met a sister called Nafisa. I told her I wanted to embrace Islam and she directed me to the New Regent Mosque. This was in 1977, about one and a half years after I received the Qur'an.

Now I realized that I must get rid of my pride, get rid of Iblis, and face one direction. So on a Friday, after Jummah' I went to the Imam and declared my faith (the Kalimah) at this hands. You have before you someone who had achieved fame and fortune. But guidance was something that eluded me, no matter how hard I tried, until I was shown the Qur'an. Now I realize I can get in direct contact with God, unlike Christianity or any other religion. As one Hindu lady told me, "You don't understand the Hindus. We believe in one God; we use these objects (idols) to merely concentrate." What she was saying was that in order to reach God, one has to create associates, that are idols for the purpose. But Islam removes all these barriers. The only thing that moves the believers from the disbelievers is the salat. This is the process of purification. Finally I wish to say that everything I do is for the pleasure of Allah and pray that you gain some inspirations from my experiences. Furthermore, I would like to stress that I did not come into contact with any Muslim before I embraced Islam.

I read the Qur'an first and realized that no person is perfect. Islam is perfect, and if we imitate the conduct of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) we will be successful. May Allah give us guidance to follow the path of the ummah of Muhammad (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). Ameen! -- Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens) Yusuf Islam - MusicBrainz Yusuf Islam Artist 'Yusuf' belongs here, via artist credits. Annotation last modified on 2015-02-16 22:02 UTC. Legal name: Steven Demetre Georgiou, Yusuf Islam Also performs as: Who Is The Real Yusuf Islam/Cat Stevens? Who Is The Real Yusuf Islam/Cat Stevens? Monday, 27 June 2011 18:55 Red Rose Who is Yusuf Islam, previously Cat Stevens? It might shock his fans to learn that the recycled troubadour is a zealous Muslim and a rabid anti-Semite. The aging feline, Cat Stevens, morphed into Yusuf Islam when he submitted to Islam in 1977.

Originally Steven Demetre Georgiou, alias Steve Adams, alias Cat Stevens, alias Yusuf Islam, he is now known merely as Yusuf. Good strategy to drop the inconvenient surname of Islam. It indicates an affinity to Mohammed's Islam and might not impress perceptive fans of the former Cat Stevens. Mr. Islam was born in 1948 in London, U.K. His father was a Greek-Cypriot and his mother was Swedish. Mr. Islam was raised a Catholic and attended Catholic schools in London. In 1979 he married Fauzia Mubarak Ali. She was born in Nairobi but has a Central-Asian/Afghani background. They have five children. His mother chose his wife for him. According to Mr Islam's website 'Yusuf Islam - Lifeline', his mother died in 1990. Curiously, she was buried as a Muslim with the name of Ingrid Georgiou (Safiyyah). No mention of when she converted. For an unknown length of time, his father lived in Egypt. In 1978, Mr Islam visited Egypt with his friend, Alun Davis.

In the Valley of Kings, Mr Islam met an old lady who knew his father Stavros at the time he lived in Alexandria. From 1966 he had a successful career as a pop-star. Then in 1977 he converted to Islam. Ever since, he has been committed to promulgating his sanitised version of Islam to Westerners and expanding his niche in the Islamic world. Before converting, he was searching for a crutch in his life. He flirted with Buddhism but realized it was not suitable for him. He "tried Zen and Ching, numerology, tarot cards and astrology." His brother, impressed by a visit to a mosque in Jerusalem, gave him a Qur'an. Eureka! Mr Islam had found his calling. An ideology that promotes polygamy, honour killing of wives, daughters and sisters, hacking heads off non-Muslims, stoning women to death, hanging homosexuals, female genital mutilation (circumcision), suicide bombings, execution of apostates, child marriages of little girls, and more. And anti-Semitism, a virulent hatred of Jews and Israel. On his conversion to Islam, he wrote: "I found a religion that blended scientific reason with spiritual reality" Scientific reason?

The scientific way to behead an infidel? The scientific process to stone a person to death? Maybe the scientific method of circumcising young girls - Female Genital Mutilation? Perhaps the scientific wisdom of Iran's late barbaric Ayatollah Khomeini, a 20th century man with a primitive 7th century desert mentality? "One of the first interesting things I learnt was that the word 'Islam' itself comes from Peace or Salam." Really? Karen Armstrong, a devotee of Islam, defines Islam as 'submission' or 'surrender' to the Will of God. So do other Muslims. Submission and Surrender! In June 2010, the aging pop-star toured Australia. He serenaded nostalgic audiences in Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane with his old Cat Stevens songs and a few newer ones. Tickets at $200-plus would have enriched Mr. Islam's bank account (Shariah Bank?) by many thousands of Australian dollars. To be used, no doubt, to finance his favourite Islamic charities and his Islamic schools in Britain. Journalist Iain Shedden of The Australian wrote that Mr.

Islam made a quick visit to Australia in December 2010 to discuss the promotion of his June 2010 seven-concert-tour DVD with his Australian promoter Paul Dainty of Dainty Consolidated Entertainment. And also an Australian premiere of his proposed musical 'Moonshadow'. Mr. Islam lives six months of each year in Dubai. He told Iain Shedden that Dubai "is a Muslim country...they are accepting of one's faith. You're not at loggerheads all the time on that score." Was Mr Islam joking? Dubai - accepting of one's faith? Only if one is a Muslim. Jews, Christians and other non-Muslims would disagree with Mr Islam's self-obsessed view. Mr. Islam is a hypocrite. He wrote an article 'Islam Sings' for the book 'Taking Back Islam,' published in 2002. He accused Western lifestyles of being a cultural danger, not only to Muslims but to everyone. He denigrated satellite TV, the Internet, CDs, fashion, advertising, the worship and adoration of sports personalities, film stars and so on...also, media moguls and their commercial empires.

Yet to promote his proposed musical 'Moonshadow' and to promote sales of his CDs and DVDs in Australia, Mr. Hypocrite Islam is using the same 'dangerous' Western cultural methods that he despises and condemns. In the same article, he praised Islam for giving people "certain absolute directions on how, why, what, when, and where, to do things in their daily lives." Translation: how to be a mindless zombie. A 'moderate' Muslim he is not. He does not personally kill people, stone women to death, hack off infidels heads, hands and feet, murder homosexuals or indulge in Islamic atrocities. He is not a terrorist Muslim. Not his style. He prefers that other Muslims do the dirty deeds. Confirmed by his condoning of the Ayatollah Khomeini's fatwa on Salman Rushdie in the BBC program 'Hypotheticals'. He stated that Salman Rushdie (author of The Satanic Verses) should die but he would not personally kill him. He would "...ring somebody who might do more damage to him (Rushdie) than he (Rushdie) would like.

I'd try to phone the Ayatollah Khomeini and tell him exactly where this man is." He also said "that rather than go to a demonstration to burn an effigy of Salman Rushdie, I would have hoped that it'd be the real thing." Spoken like a true fundamentalist Muslim. For links to view the video, see end notes. In 2004 in an article 'A Cat in a Wild World', he wrote: "I am a man of peace and denounce all forms of terrorism and injustice...I have dedicated my life to promoting peace throughout the world...and campaigning for peace and stability in this volatile and violent world." The hypocrite. Calling for the death of Salman Rushdie for writing a book is not the act of a peaceful man. On a visit to Istanbul in November 1997, Mr Islam addressed students at Bosporus University.

He lectured about his firm commitment to "the basic Islamic ethos" and his desire "to rekindle Islamic life and attitudes, especially in Europe, in what I would say is a declining civilization." "For us," he said, "we do believe that there is a need to reaffirm the culture of Islam in all its beauty and aspiration." Islam in all its beauty and aspiration! Mr Islam should read his Qur'an. He would be hard pressed to find any beauty in its pages. Europe is a declining civilization due to the influx of millions of Muslim parasites. Welfare seekers. In 1992 Mr. Islam founded the registered UK charity, Waqf al-Birr Education Trust, specifically to cater for Da'wah as well as educational matters. One of his activities is to provide Da'wah material for non-Muslims. Da'wah! Such a mysterious word, exotic even. Sounds much nicer than 'propaganda'. One interpretation is 'inviting to the Way of submission and surrender to Allah.' Another explains Da'wah as 'usually denotes preaching of Islam.' Which means Mr. Islam is just a plain old missionary for Islam.

Roping in for Allah, types such as David Hicks and Jihad Jack Thomas. The weak-minded misfits and flotsam of the world. In 1994 Mr. Islam set up a Company, Mountain of Light, especially to provide top quality audio-visual Da'wah material, primarily in audio-vision form. Mr Islam turned his attention to studio work recording his popular CDs and DVDs. Such as 'A is for Allah', which teaches Islam. All aimed at ensnaring gullible non-Muslims. The Islamic world must have been over-joyed when Yusuf Islam superseded Cat Stevens. Mr. Islam has founded a number of schools. He opened Islamia Primary School in 1983. It was one of England's first Islamic schools. Then in 1988 he opened the Islamia Girls' Secondary School. He founded an educational, exhibition and cultural centre in London, The Maqam. One aim of the centre is to present Islam in a positive light to the Western world. Through the use of the facilities by non-Muslims, Mr. Islam hopes to fulfill "his vision to educate people about Islam in order to build a healthier and spiritually tolerant society" reported the Arab News.

The banishing of Islam would achieve that vision, Mr Islam. A mission statement of his Islamia School: "The ultimate aim of Islamic education is the realization of complete submission to Allah on the level of the individual, the community and humanity at large." Mr Islam's ambitious plan for the whole of humanity! The fawning article in the Arab News praised Mr. Islam for targetting children with his Islamic songs. The songs are based on the meanings of the Koran and Hadiths, "beautiful songs with a strong moral view." The Arab News reported that "he has over 200 songs that touch on spirituality, family, peace and harmony." He is reported to be on a mission to creating a 'better tomorrow' for future generations. An Islamic future of submission to Allah, one presumes. What better way to indoctrinate young children - to open your own schools. The ultimate propaganda tool. "It's grossly unfair for the vast majority of humankind who still have yet to benefit from what this wonderful spiritual code of life (Islam - or 'entry to peace with God') can offer." The vast majority of humankind? Another revealing statement of his ambition to Islamize the world.

In the article 'Chinese Whiskers' by Yusuf Islam, from his site 'Mountain of Light', he informed readers about the Muslim attacks of 9/11 in the US and 7/7 in the UK: "I do believe that some people in the West have a hard time today in decoding the spiritual message of peace which exists behind certain bloodcurdling events and headlines which are branded (sic) abroad in the name of Islam." Decoding which Islamic 'spiritual message of peace'? Flying planes into highrise buildings and slaughtering thousands of people? Is it considered OK as long as we understand the 'spiritual message of peace' of the massacre? He expressed the usual Muslim line that the terrorists actions were "un-Islamic" and "against the teachings and example of the Prophet" and carried out by "a minority." They "confirm some people's worst fears." They certainly do, Mr. Islam. Hitler, Pol Pot, the Ayatollah Khomeini, Genghis Khan, Attila the Hun, Muhammad - each started as a minority. "The display of death and indiscriminate killing we've all witnessed has undoubtedly dented humanity's confidence in itself." No, it did not Mr. Islam!

It jolted open the eyes and minds of people of civilized Western countries to the evil of Islam. Writing about the attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon, he cast Muslims in London as victims. "With reports linking the atrocity to Muslim groups, the parents and innocent children of Islamia School have become possible targets of hate and harassment." And "As more evidence is uncovered, the latest horror to hit the United States allegedly looks to have been caused by people bearing Muslim names and of Middle Eastern origin." 'Allegedly' and 'People bearing Muslim names'? Terrorist Muslims, Mr. Islam! They were devotees of your prophet Muhammad! Mr Islam is a spokesman for the Forum Against Islamaphobia and Racism. The Forum held a meeting in September 2001 to discuss the fallout for the Muslim community in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attack in America. Speaking to the BBC after the meeting, Mr Islam made more astounding remarks. "This (9/11 attack) is a celebration for racists who will take any kind of opportunity to target innocent Muslims and bystanders and that is the kind of thing we are experiencing here (UK) and around the world," he said.

Hmmm...perhaps flying hijacked commercial jet airliners into American buildings and causing the agonising deaths of nearly 3000 people and over 6000 injured, might be regarded as an 'opportunity'. Mr Islam said some of the victims of attacks in the UK had been young children who had been bullied, spat on and assaulted. "That is unacceptable in our civilized world," he said. Spat on and bullied! Children in Israel are subjected to constant attack from rockets fired by Muslims into Israel. Given a choice, they would probably prefer to be spat on. The recycled anti-Semitic warbler does not love Jews or Israel. In 1988, he wrote the following in an 'informational pamphlet' called 'Eyewitness' for the Islamic Association for Palestine (IAP), a Hamas front-group with ties to Al-Qaeda: "The Jews seem neither to respect God nor his creation. Their own holy books contain the curse of God brought upon them by their prophets on account of their disobedience to Him and mischief in the earth. We have seen the disrespect for religion displayed by those who consider themselves to be 'God's chosen people.'...There will be no justice until all the land is given back to its rightful owners...

Only Islam can bring peace back to the Holy Land." The same as the 'peace' in the Muslim countries of the Middle East, Mr. Islam? In 2000, Mr Islam was refused entry into Israel after previously being barred in 1990. The government claimed that he delivered tens of thousands of dollars to Hamas when he visited Israel in 1988. On being deported in 2000, he said, "I don't see any reason for this to happen in a time of peace." Time of peace? What an incredibly insensitive remark. There has never been peace for Israel. Jews have been under attack by Muslims ever since Muhammad had his first epileptic fit. In 1999, Mr. Islam was the main speaker at the "Second 'United for Al-Quds Conference'." (Al-Quds is the Islamic name for Jerusalem). One of the main sponsors was the American Muslims for Global Peace and Justice, a radical group which supports terror. In his speech, entitled 'Jerusalem: The First and Last Scene of Faith's Struggle', Mr. Islam said: "As we look to Jerusalem and the world today, we see Muslims being subjected to the same persecution and exile as Jews.

We need only to look at Kosovo to see this reality...When the Jews placed their love of life and their national identity above the obedience to God and His prophets, they were lowered to abject levels of disgrace and dishonour" Yeah! The USA installed gas chambers in Jerusalem and the UN, the EU and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs are herding Muslims into them. An outrageous lie. Just as deluded as your preposterous drivel, Mr. Islam! At an Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) conference in 1995, Mr. Islam said in his speech that "The Jews would have us believe that God has this bias to this little small tribe in the Middle of the Sinai desert and all the rest of humanity is just rubbish. I mean that this is the basic doctrine of the Jewish religion and that's why it is a most racist religion." It really sticks in your craw doesn't it Mr. Islam that your Muslim brothers cannot wipe Israel, that little small tribe, off the map! Mr. Yusuf Islam, a committed fundamentalist Muslim, is on a mission to convert the World to Islam as prescribed by his controller - the 7th century barbarian Muhammad.

Finally, an item from: Toledo Blade - Life on Mars. August 17th, 1996 Mr Islam was asked about beings in space and what religion they would adopt - if any. On Mars or wherever. Mr Islam believes Martian life would be more problematical for Christianity than for Islam. The Koran refers to Allah as 'Lord of the worlds' and has a sophisticated theology of 'jinns', spirits who 'live in the heavens'. "The Prophet Mohammad was sent as a mercy to all the worlds," he said, quoting the Koran. "Islam is for the whole universe, not just for this earth. We could start preaching on Mars as soon as we get the visa." My comment: Too late, Mr Islam. While your Muslim brothers around the world were killing each other, and non-Muslims, the Martians adopted Judaism! The Israelis got there first! Links to articles Yusuf Islam | Folk review | Music | The Guardian The Guardian Tuesday 24 November 2009 17.05 EST First published on Tuesday 24 November 2009 17.05 EST Share on Messenger Close When artists "find" themselves, it can pour water on their creative fire.

This threatened to be the case in this anticipated concert, during which the former Cat Stevens presented highlights from his musical, Moonshadow. The story of a man emerging from darkness, Moonshadow began with a cuteness-overload: a boy and a girl from rival communities become friends and sing about it. But it only took the cast to burst into Matthew & Son to remind the audience why they were there. It's taken him 33 years, but Yusuf Islam seems to have reconciled his former life as a prodigiously gifted singer-songwriter with the faith that gives him his second name. Looking like a stylish imam, he began the concert proper with the evocative The Wind, from the classic 1971 album Teaser and the Firecat. The voice is as good as ever, and just to remind us that back then he couldn't help but write masterpieces, he followed it with the hugely emotional Where Do the Children Play? Roadsinger, the title track from his 2009 album, was the best of the new material, but it was the classics that everyone wanted to hear, and Islam and his tight band gave heartfelt renditions of Wild World, Moonshadow and Peace Train.

The older songs are all about searching, and Islam distanced himself from them when he found his faith. But by the second encore, with the entire audience singing along to Father and Son, he looked to be realising the value of those songs once more. At Liverpool Arena on 5 December (0844-8000 400). Then touring. Read More Yusuf Islam Concert Tickets If the name Yusuf Islam doesn't ring a bell, surely you've heard of this folk legend under another moniker - Cat Stevens. The "Peace Train" vocalist has been a mainstay on the music scene since the mid-60s, and he's still delivering the same type of conscious tunes as he did under his former name, so get Yusuf Islam concert tickets to see this legendary folk icon strum his guitar live!

Yusuf Islam Tickets The artist formerly known as Cat Stevens first started performing in the mid-60s under the name Steve Adams, bursting onto the music scene in 1966 with the Top 40 hit "I Love My Dog." He spent most of the 70s pumping out folksy pop tunes before converting to Islam in 1977, changing his name to Yusuf Islam and auctioning off all his possessions, devoting his time and efforts to philanthropic causes in the Muslim community while still recording hit music through the 00s. Don't miss the opportunity to see this living legend perform live! Yusuf Islam Tour Dates If you're looking to buy concert tickets to a phenomenal show that also help a noble cause, look into getting tickets to an upcoming Yusuf Islam show, as this dedicated artist is focused on conscious tunes and giving back to the community. Islam struck gold with his 2009 release Roadsinger, and since then has taken his music to even further heights! Check StubHub for the latest on Yusuf Islam shows being planned for a venue near you!

Yusuf Islam Concert Tour Were you hoping to pick up world music tickets to see Yusuf Islam or any of your other favorite musical artists perform live at a venue near you? Well you've come to the right place! StubHub makes it easy for you to get access to the shows you want to see! Biography of Yusuf Islam 1948 – Who is Yusuf Islam? Yusuf Islam, commonly known by his former stage name Cat Stevens, is a British singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, humanitarian and education philanthropist. He is a prominent convert to Islam. Stevens' early 1970s albums Tea for the Tillerman and Teaser and the Firecat were both certified triple platinum in the United States by the RIAA. His 1972 album Catch Bull at Four sold half a million copies in the first two weeks of release alone and was Billboard's number-one LP for three consecutive weeks. He also earned two ASCAP songwriting awards in consecutive years for "The First Cut Is the Deepest"; the song has been a hit single for four different artists. In December 1977, Stevens converted to Islam and adopted the name Yusuf Islam the following year.

In 1979, he auctioned all his guitars for charity and left his music career to devote himself to educational and philanthropic causes in the Muslim community. He has received several awards for his work in promoting peace in the world, including the 2003 World Award, the 2004 Man for Peace Award, and the 2007 Mediterranean Prize for Peace. Known professionally by the single name Yusuf, in 2006 he returned to pop music with his first album of new pop songs in 28 years, entitled An Other Cup. On 5 May 2009, he released the album Roadsinger. He is to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.

Question: What was Yusef Islam's former name?
Answer: Cat Stevens