Subject: RE: The Wisdom of Yusuf Islam/Cat Stevens
From:
Lizzie Cornish
Date: 01 Jul 06 - 06:24 PM
I will use Yusuf's own words to answer your questions Greg. THIS is what he actually says, not 'seems to be saying', taken from that article on his site.
From Greg:
"He sems to be saying, 'Well Islamic law says Rushdie's subject to death for his blasphemy, but since the state as it presently exists says thats a no-no, then I'll not advocate his murder.'
From Yusuf Islam:
"What I actually tried to do at the lecture in Kingston, and subsequently during other interviews, was to quote 'from the book' what Islam says about the legal consequences for someone who commits blasphemy within the context of Islamic law where it is adopted and applied......"
From Greg:
"That's a far cry from: "Killing people in the name of God is
wrong."
From Yusuf:
"I never ever sanctioned people taking the law in their own hands or overstepping the laws of the Britain which is what the Fatwa of Ayatollah Khomeini proposed. The truth is I never once stated support for the 'Fatwa'"
From Greg:
"He takes it further, as in the very next breath he seems to suggestthat 1) Interfering with the publication of Rushdie's work is a duty (i.e., freedom of speech isn't fundamental as a human right)
From Yusuf:
"If we can't get satisfaction within the present limits of the law, like a ban on this blasphemous book, 'Satanic Verses' which insults God and His Prophets – including those Prophets honoured by Christians, Jews as well as Muslims – this does not mean that we should step outside of the law to find redress."
From Greg:
"and 2) the inability to exact retribution against Rushdie is
something which Muslims should address politically."
From Yusuf:
"No. If Mrs Thatcher and her Government are unwilling to listen to our pleas, if our demonstrations and peaceful lobbying does not work, then perhaps the only alternative is for Muslims to get more involved in the political process of this country. It seems to be the only way left for us."
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Right then, I hope I've extracted the correct parts Greg. To me it depends entirely on what you are 'searching' for within Yusuf's words. As I stated above, people 'see' what they want to see, in anything. That goes as much for me, as it does for you, or for anyone else...including Yusuf Islam.
At no time has he ever advocated the 'killing' of *anyone*. At no time has he ever advocated *any* Muslim taking the law into their own hands. At no time has he advocated *any* Muslim to go into politics to 'exact revenge' on Rushdie.
What he seem to say, to me at least, is that he merely stated what the Koran said and he also stated that there were parts in the Bible and other Holy Books which said similar things. He did NOT say whether he agreed or disagreed with any of them. You have chosen to take that as an admission of support from him. It is no such thing, it is merely that he did not express himself in the way you WANTED him to, but then...you are not him.
He also did NOT say what he was quoted as saying in the press article, which has undoubtedly caused him great distress over the years. Strange how we don't hear of the person who did this to him though isn't it? Strange how no-one has once asked how someone could do that to someone else, knowing what the consequences would be for Yusuf! Strange that one...but...not surprising, to me at least.
With regard to freedom of speech etc...yes..it is a very important thing, but I presume that for some people there is no line ever to be drawn in freedom of speech. For me, I'm afraid that sometimes there is. Take for instance all the terrible, in my view, paedophilic children's magazines that are around now, filled with the most deeply worrying things for our young people to read.
As a Mum of youngsters I've been into shops and asked the owners why they are selling them. I've taken these magazines down, opened them up and shown them just what they are selling! Given a choice, I'd have every single one of those rotten rags removed from sale to youngsters and I'd have the people who are printing them fully looked into.....and WHY? Because I care passionately about all the terrible things that surround so many of our young people at present. To me it is terribly wrong. Does that make me a wicked person? I certainly hope not!
Would I ever consider going into politics to try and get the law changed? With MY brain!!??? ;0)
But yes, perhaps, if I was more intelligent and I wasn't home-educating my younger child, maybe...although to be surrounded by such corrupt, self-centred, apathetic, controlling and spineless twits as seem to fill our Government at present, would deeply frustrate and anger me! (and I should point out that I'm a home-educator purely because my son could no longer cope with the bullying and the stress within school, as happened to my daughter beforehand.) But I wouldn't be in there to 'exact retribution' merely to try and get something changed, which I believed in passionately.
Salman Rushdie had his freedom taken away from him for many years, because he chose, knowingly, to walk a dangerous path. But that was his decision entirely. Many will say that the path should never have been 'dangerous' in the first place, but...it was and he knew it. It was his decision. And upon him rained much hatred. That, imo, was wrong.
However, he came over here and was protected for many years by Scotland Yard Officers.
Yusuf Islam NEVER EVER said what he was quoted as saying. And yet he has been villified for it. Just as with Salman, hatred pouring down upon him, but from a different set of people. None of it was his decision. He had his 'voice' removed. That, imo, was again, wrong.
Yusuf has been given no protection whatsoever.
Salman Rushdie has continued to live his glitzy life-style I believe. (I may be wrong about 'glitzy' there) Yusuf Islam has simply got on with his simple, but intelligent life.
Tell me Greg.....If Salman had had a FATWA issued against him when he had NEVER EVER written such a book, would that be OK then?
Yusuf NEVER said what he was quoted as saying...EVER! And yet, look what has happened to him....and it is STILL happening, as can be witnessed in this thread. And so to quote your own words: "DON'T *YOU* SEE THE PROBLEM WITH THAT?"
And lastly, once again from you:
"Don't you see a fundamental hypocrisy in reclaiming the Cat Stevens
song 'Peace Train' for Yusef Islam in one breath while advocating
the sort of theocracy that kills people for what they say on the
other?"
But he never did Greg. You and others have assumed that is what he meant.
He is now working hard to spread peace, to open Islam up to the world and the world up to Islam. He wants them to see that it is about Peace, NOT about Hate. He is trying to grab it back from the fundamentalists and give it back to the very people it belongs to. He wants to change the very 'teachings of hate' that drove those men to fly those planes into the Twin Towers in the first place!
THAT is what he is about....Changing it all..from within!
To me ALL and ANY religion should be about peace. LIFE should be about peace. Let's just hope that Yusuf's words of peace are not drowned out by words of hate.
And heck! I don't know WHY I am fighting so hard for this man, but I am...and I will!
Lizzie :0)
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