Ok, Callie, first of all, no you didn't hear that. Yusuf Islam did not make a statement supporting the "kill Salman Rushdie campaign." What he did was answer a question about the whole Salman Rushdie controversy with a statement that, under Islamic Law, 'blasphemy' is punishable by death. This statement was twisted by an anti-Islamic press into a statement suporting the murder of Rushdie, which it was not.

Second, as for the current situation with Yusuf Islam being denied entry to Israel, he denies supporting "terrorist" groups, and says that he only supports humanitarian organizations. I'm not going to argue what is terrorism and what is not, but I see no reason to believe that Yusuf Islam is lying.

Third, how many of you who can't seperate Cat Stevens from Yusuf Islam are willing to enjoy pro-IRA entertainers, musical or otherwise? And do you think there is a difference? If Cat Stevens had become a fundamentalist Christian or a Zionist Jew, and the accusations were that he donated money to anti-Islamic groups (What's Pat Robertson's organization called again?), do you think that your reactions would be the same?

I think he's a decent guy who's name has been largely destroyed by the slanderous accusations in the press, by people who's image of a Muslim is of some wild-eyed bedouin with dynamite strapped to his camel. Seriously, don't believe everything you read.

---Lepus Rex