Yusuf Islam speaks about his recent exclusion from the US
24 September 2004
________________________________
First, I thank God for relieving me of my ordeal and delivering me home safe;
also, thanks to all those who prayed for me and supported me through this whole
dark episode, from eminent politicians, the press and religious leaders, to
plain, everyday people. Never would I believe that such a thing could happen in
the 'land of the free' - unfortunately, it did. But it's warming to have such a
wave of sympathy from my friends and my worldwide well-wishers.
After the experience of my dramatic deportation from the U.S.A. it feels like I
am on a different planet from the one I was on a couple of days ago; certainly
the world has changed, not for the best. Two days beforehand, I had started a
journey with my daughter to Nashville, intending to initiate work on a new
recording project. Suddenly, our aeroplane was diverted 600 miles to Bangor
International Airport and I found myself surrounded by six uniformed officers
and handed over to the FBI for questioning.
The most upsetting thing at this point was being separated from my daughter,
Maymanah, not knowing how she was or when and where we might be united. And
since my phone was confiscated I couldn't contact my family (nor could they ring
me) and they were relegated to watching the whole frightening episode on TV and
surviving on scraps of information shown by the media.
My interrogators repeatedly wanted to know how my name was spelt; it sounded to
me as though they had it mixed up with someone else's. Security officers finally
told me that my name was on a 'No Fly List', I was classified as 'Inadmissible',
and sent back to London.
The amazing thing is that I was not given (and have still not been given) any
explanation whatsoever as to what it is I am accused of, or why I am now deemed
an apparent security threat - let alone given an opportunity to respond to these
allegations. I was simply told that the order had come from 'on high'.
We have now initiated a legal process to try to find out exactly what is going
on, and to take all necessary steps to undo the very serious, and wholly
unfounded, injustice which I have suffered.
I am a man of peace and denounce all forms of terrorism and injustice; it is
simply outrageous for the U.S. authorities to suggest otherwise. I have
dedicated my life to promoting peace and understanding throughout the world. It
would be devastating were the charity work I do through my humanitarian relief
organisation, Small Kindness, which helps countless children and families, and
which is accredited by the United Nations, to be undermined by what has
happened.
What makes the situation even more distressing is the fact that I have now been
prevented from entering the United States - a part of God's earth that I love
and whose people have always been great friends to me.
Yet, after all this, I can think of no better response than by continuing what I
believe to be the tremendously important work of caring for the needy and
campaigning for peace and stability in this volatile and increasingly violent
world, and at the same time try to seek to clear my name of this appalling and
baseless slur. In the meantime I am confident that, in the end, good sense and,
above all, justice, will prevail.
------------------------
Note to Editors: Yusuf Islam's legal advisers are currently seeking
clarification on the detention from the US Consulate. Cat Stevens was one of the
biggest solo artists of the 1960s and 1970s, penning such songs as Matthew &
Son, Moonshadow, Wild World, Peace Train and Father and Son and selling millions
of LPs. Following a bout of TB early in his career he undertook an ongoing
search for peace and ultimate spiritual truth. He embraced Islam in 1977 and
changed his name to Yusuf Islam. Last year he was awarded the World Social Award
by former president Mikhail Gorbachev for his humanitarian relief work helping
children. He also performed at Nelson Mandela's AIDS benefit concert in South
Africa.
Enquiries to:
http://www.yusufislam.org.uk/
.
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| User: "Woodswun" |
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| Title: Re: Yusuf Islam speaks about his recent exclusion from the US |
25 Sep 2004 07:48:13 AM |
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In article <q50al05bt78qsgsu0v9po78qpn42id8gfo@4ax.com>, AK <someoneNasty@hotmails.com> wrote:
Yusuf Islam speaks about his recent exclusion from the US
24 September 2004
________________________________
First, I thank God for relieving me of my ordeal and delivering me home safe;
also, thanks to all those who prayed for me and supported me through this whole
dark episode, from eminent politicians, the press and religious leaders, to
plain, everyday people. Never would I believe that such a thing could happen in
the 'land of the free' - unfortunately, it did. But it's warming to have such a
wave of sympathy from my friends and my worldwide well-wishers.
<snip>
Hmmm ..... sounds a bit like a PR blurb that someone would send out to stay in
the limelight.
He could just as easily have said that he was questioned and returned home, and
that he thinks it was an error and is having it looked into. The drama
contained in the article is a bit much for someone who's simply providing
factual information to a curious public.
Woods
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| User: "AK" |
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| Title: Re: Yusuf Islam speaks about his recent exclusion from the US |
25 Sep 2004 09:10:10 AM |
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On Sat, 25 Sep 2004 12:48:13 GMT, (Woodswun) wrote:
The drama
contained in the article is a bit much for someone who's simply providing
factual information to a curious public.
I didn't see any "drama" in the article. He explained what happened, how he
felt, and that he never supported terrorism.
You have not given a single direct quote from him to justify your diatribe
against him, other than that he is a Muslim. That doesn't impress me.
http://catstevens.com/multimedia/audiovideo.html
Give me a direct quote from here or some other source (regardless of date).
Until you do that, I am not impressed.
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| User: "Woodswun" |
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| Title: Re: Yusuf Islam speaks about his recent exclusion from the US |
26 Sep 2004 07:48:28 AM |
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In article <0htal0d6up8t9ioo8me0jsm9thgjeo2qv8@4ax.com>, AK <someoneNasty@hotmails.com> wrote:
On Sat, 25 Sep 2004 12:48:13 GMT, (Woodswun) wrote:
The drama
contained in the article is a bit much for someone who's simply providing
factual information to a curious public.
I didn't see any "drama" in the article. He explained what happened, how he
felt, and that he never supported terrorism.
You have not given a single direct quote from him to justify your diatribe
against him, other than that he is a Muslim. That doesn't impress me.
Well, I guess you just have to have experience to pick up on some things. I'm
not about to conduct a lesson on how to read an article for you, I'm merely
pointing out my observation so that others can go back and reread it with
another viewpoint. If they pick it up, fine, if not, oh well!
http://catstevens.com/multimedia/audiovideo.html
Give me a direct quote from here or some other source (regardless of date).
Until you do that, I am not impressed.
Like I said, oh well!
Woods
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| User: "Harry Chrishna Harry" |
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| Title: Re: Yusuf Islam speaks about his recent exclusion from the US |
03 Feb 2005 11:13:39 AM |
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On Sun, 26 Sep 2004 12:48:28 GMT, (Woodswun)
wrote:
In article <0htal0d6up8t9ioo8me0jsm9thgjeo2qv8@4ax.com>, AK <someoneNasty@hotmails.com> wrote:
On Sat, 25 Sep 2004 12:48:13 GMT, (Woodswun) wrote:
The drama
contained in the article is a bit much for someone who's simply providing
factual information to a curious public.
I didn't see any "drama" in the article. He explained what happened, how he
felt, and that he never supported terrorism.
You have not given a single direct quote from him to justify your diatribe
against him, other than that he is a Muslim. That doesn't impress me.
Well, I guess you just have to have experience to pick up on some things. I'm
not about to conduct a lesson on how to read an article for you, I'm merely
pointing out my observation so that others can go back and reread it with
another viewpoint. If they pick it up, fine, if not, oh well!
http://catstevens.com/multimedia/audiovideo.html
Give me a direct quote from here or some other source (regardless of date).
Until you do that, I am not impressed.
Like I said, oh well!
Woods
Epitaph - - -
The Bush Cabinet inner circle, neo-con war planners, two Israeli
generals, and representatives of Pakistan's ISI met at the Bush ranch
to put final touches on a disperse plan. The end-results
of the plan culminated in the events of Sept 11, 2001. Most meeting
in Texas that August were not aware of enough details of the plan
to know it would involve 19 mostly Saudi hijackers flying airliners
into high-profile targets. Most those meeting at the Texas ranch
that August were involved with the intelligence networks providing
direct and indirect logistical support, funding, and covert-op
assistance to move people and materiel afterwards to cover up the
operation's owners.
2. On Dec 10, 2001, Donald Rumsfeld ordered a 24-hour stand-down
on all Coalition military operations in Afghanistan. 4,000 Pakistani
NCO's and Officers were air-lifted from Mazar-i-Sharif back to safety,
in Pakistan. The US and Pakistan's ISI created the Taleban, together,
along with their allies in Saudi Arabia, who provided funding.
3. During the 24 hour stand-down nearly 1,000 Al Qaeda swung
across Baluchistan Province in Afghanistan, away from where US forces
suspected OBL was, then headed north again, and crossed over the
border into Iran, at the border town of Kanar-i-Kapeh (near a huge
dry lake bed).
4. This caravan continued to a major Iranian airbase, then the
leadership (OBL, his sons, etc) were met be ex-Iranian President
Ali Akhbar Rafsanjani, and other top officials of the Al-Qud unit
of the Revolutionary Guard. OBL
5. OBL and the other top officials flew into Tehran then were taken
to the city of Karaj, 40 miles west of Tehran, where he has remained
since. The facility at Karaji has a huge complex, similiar to the
system of layered defensive "palaces" used by Saddam Hussein.
6. The Operation to bring OBL into Iran, and keep him there, was
brokered by individuals within the Bush Administration that I'll
leave un-named.
7. The phony "War on Terror" was planned long ago, as the basis
to eliminate all "enemies" of particular US allies in that region,
including enemies of the House of Saud.
8. The invasion and occupation of Iraq was a foregone conclusion
as early as 1998, and the US public only needed 9-11, though
having nothing to do with Iraq, enough confusing data and an "enemy"
to rouse them to borrow and spend the money and spill the blood.
9. Iran's nuclear program, plus "sudden discovery that OBL was in
Iran all this time", plus an Israeli "USS Liberty" type attack on an
American warship in the Gulf, that will be blamed on Iran, will
guarantee an all-out attack by the US.
10. What the US's overly-zealous corporations, and its allies in
Tel-Aviv don't realize, is that the Chinese and Russians have some
surprises of their own planned, when the US takes these operations
against Iran forward.
In its entire history, the US has never been in such a precarious
situation, and will have no one to blame but itself
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| User: "AK" |
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| Title: Re: Yusuf Islam speaks about his recent exclusion from the US |
27 Sep 2004 03:14:27 AM |
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On Sun, 26 Sep 2004 12:48:28 GMT, (Woodswun) wrote:
Well, I guess you just have to have experience to pick up on some things.
You haven't shown any "experience." You just went into a diatribe by claiming he
is Muslim but couldn't justify anything.
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| User: "Woodswun" |
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| Title: Re: Yusuf Islam speaks about his recent exclusion from the US |
28 Sep 2004 12:25:15 PM |
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In article <9sifl0l2ge3r65bedjhu6l6emv9hrcpmhd@4ax.com>, AK <someoneNasty@hotmails.com> wrote:
On Sun, 26 Sep 2004 12:48:28 GMT, (Woodswun) wrote:
Well, I guess you just have to have experience to pick up on some things.
You haven't shown any "experience." You just went into a diatribe by claiming
he
is Muslim but couldn't justify anything.
Um ... just what, exactly would someone's religion have to do with using an
event to promote themselves? That's a "celebrity" thing, I don't think I've
*ever* heard anyone, other than yourself, think it was a "Muslim" thing.
Woods
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| User: "AK" |
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| Title: Re: Yusuf Islam speaks about his recent exclusion from the US |
25 Sep 2004 09:21:40 AM |
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One more thing. Earlier you said that he started making music again and that's
why he changed his position. From what I read so far, the new music he made was
some kind of children religious songs that has little commercial value.
What was your source for that claim? Post your sources.
.
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| User: "Boner the Cat" |
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| Title: Re: Yusuf Islam speaks about his recent exclusion from the US |
26 Sep 2004 06:53:31 AM |
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well when you get on the Oberfurher's list ( asshat *****-kroft) you can have
all your god given rights removed, by jailed forever etc.
ya see big john is on a mission from God.
Him and Bushwacker are known in capital circles as the Blues brothers, on as
mission from God.
"AK" <someoneNasty@hotmails.com> wrote in message
news:q50al05bt78qsgsu0v9po78qpn42id8gfo@4ax.com...
Yusuf Islam speaks about his recent exclusion from the US
24 September 2004
________________________________
First, I thank God for relieving me of my ordeal and delivering me home
safe;
also, thanks to all those who prayed for me and supported me through this
whole
dark episode, from eminent politicians, the press and religious leaders,
to
plain, everyday people. Never would I believe that such a thing could
happen in
the 'land of the free' - unfortunately, it did. But it's warming to have
such a
wave of sympathy from my friends and my worldwide well-wishers.
After the experience of my dramatic deportation from the U.S.A. it feels
like I
am on a different planet from the one I was on a couple of days ago;
certainly
the world has changed, not for the best. Two days beforehand, I had
started a
journey with my daughter to Nashville, intending to initiate work on a new
recording project. Suddenly, our aeroplane was diverted 600 miles to
Bangor
International Airport and I found myself surrounded by six uniformed
officers
and handed over to the FBI for questioning.
The most upsetting thing at this point was being separated from my
daughter,
Maymanah, not knowing how she was or when and where we might be united.
And
since my phone was confiscated I couldn't contact my family (nor could
they ring
me) and they were relegated to watching the whole frightening episode on
TV and
surviving on scraps of information shown by the media.
My interrogators repeatedly wanted to know how my name was spelt; it
sounded to
me as though they had it mixed up with someone else's. Security officers
finally
told me that my name was on a 'No Fly List', I was classified as
'Inadmissible',
and sent back to London.
The amazing thing is that I was not given (and have still not been given)
any
explanation whatsoever as to what it is I am accused of, or why I am now
deemed
an apparent security threat - let alone given an opportunity to respond to
these
allegations. I was simply told that the order had come from 'on high'.
We have now initiated a legal process to try to find out exactly what is
going
on, and to take all necessary steps to undo the very serious, and wholly
unfounded, injustice which I have suffered.
I am a man of peace and denounce all forms of terrorism and injustice; it
is
simply outrageous for the U.S. authorities to suggest otherwise. I have
dedicated my life to promoting peace and understanding throughout the
world. It
would be devastating were the charity work I do through my humanitarian
relief
organisation, Small Kindness, which helps countless children and families,
and
which is accredited by the United Nations, to be undermined by what has
happened.
What makes the situation even more distressing is the fact that I have now
been
prevented from entering the United States - a part of God's earth that I
love
and whose people have always been great friends to me.
Yet, after all this, I can think of no better response than by continuing
what I
believe to be the tremendously important work of caring for the needy and
campaigning for peace and stability in this volatile and increasingly
violent
world, and at the same time try to seek to clear my name of this appalling
and
baseless slur. In the meantime I am confident that, in the end, good sense
and,
above all, justice, will prevail.
------------------------
Note to Editors: Yusuf Islam's legal advisers are currently seeking
clarification on the detention from the US Consulate. Cat Stevens was one
of the
biggest solo artists of the 1960s and 1970s, penning such songs as Matthew
&
Son, Moonshadow, Wild World, Peace Train and Father and Son and selling
millions
of LPs. Following a bout of TB early in his career he undertook an ongoing
search for peace and ultimate spiritual truth. He embraced Islam in 1977
and
changed his name to Yusuf Islam. Last year he was awarded the World Social
Award
by former president Mikhail Gorbachev for his humanitarian relief work
helping
children. He also performed at Nelson Mandela's AIDS benefit concert in
South
Africa.
Enquiries to:
http://www.yusufislam.org.uk/
.
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