Cat Stevens, aka ‘Yusuf Islam', is back on the radar screen. This time, for refusing to talk to women who were unveiled. Apparently, he was at an awards ceremony in Germany where he was the honored guest for 'building bridges betwen the West and Muslim world', but he refused to talk to his unveiled hosts. Charles Johnson has the details.

Building bridges? Perhaps, but the only bridges being built by 'Mr. Islam' seem to lead back to the 15th century.

Cat Stevens is held up by the press and entertainment industry as a 'model Muslim'. In addition to the German award, this year he performed at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony!

Perhaps it is because his songs are so full of themes of peace, or because he is so soft spoken. His mannerism make him appear to be tolerant. But, like most Salafis, scratch the surface and you will see their intolerance and barbarism just underneath.

Here is a man who won't talk to any women who are not veiled. A man who supports Islamic supremacism. A man who supports the imposition of sharia (Islamic) law. A man who wishes to make it illegal to criticize a religious figure he deems a prophet.

Sure, he speaks in near whispers. But have you ever studied the mannerisms of Osama bin Laden or Ayman al-Zawahiri? Yes, he speaks often of peace. As do even the most radical Wahhabis---the peace that comes with submission to Islamic rule.

Not that he is a bin Laden supporter or a Wahhabi, but the point is that speaking of 'peace' in soft tones does not make one a rolemodel. Not when that peace is really the peace of a submissive slave.

Cat Stevens, from what I gather, used to be much worse. He used to support terrorism. He used to hang out with terrorists. Of course, he, like many Muslims, defined 'terrorism' and 'terrorst' in such a way as to exclude his friends and their actions (because killing Jews is always somehow 'not terrorism' but 'legitimate resistance'). He is even publicly on the record as supporting the death penalty for those that would dare blaspheme Islam.

For Allah's sake, before 9/11 he even wrote a song praising the Taliban!

There's more--> In fairnes to 'Yusuf Islam', he has moderated his views. Much like many Salafi in the Muslim Brotherhood who have officially rejected terrorism and violence, Cat Stevens has rejected the harshest aspects of his religion. He claims he is against all forms of terrorism, which I believe is probably true.

But 'rejecting terrorism' does not a saint nor rolemodel make. If 'rejecting terrorism' is the only standard criteria for sainthood in the Islamic world, then that is a low standard indeed. It is a form of cultural bigotry, by which we expect Muslims to live by a more primitive set of rules than we do of other 'normal' people.

Like demanding that their women cover their faces. But even worse is when they demand that our women cover their faces. That is Muslim culturial imperialism.

It's time for Cat Stevens to move to a country that he'd feel more comfortable in. I think Saudi Arabia might be more to his liking.

Sadly, in many neighborhoods around Europe, Mr. Islam would feel right at home. Neighborhoods where unveiled women receive cat calls and threats. Neighborhoods where the sharia is enforced through informal action and threats of violence.

It's bad enough that people, like Islam, who feel more at home with the Taliban are walking the streets of Western Europe. It's worse that Westerners laud him and his ilk with praise and shower him with awards of distinction.

How bad has Yusuf Islam been in the past? Here is an audio of radical Muslim cleric Omar Bakri Mohammed talking about Yusuf Islam's connection to convicted terrorist Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman and his involvement in raising funds for the families of terrorists (called 'martyrs' in the audio). Listen here [right click and save if too slow]

Cat Stevens has renounced his terror ties, but apparently he still believes in a form of Islam better suited to the Middle Ages than to the 21st century.

Related:

Claim: Cat Stevens Financed Terrorists, Tied to Radical Clerics
Cat Stevens (Yusuf Islam) Sings Praises of Taliban?
Cat at PAIC
Yusuf Islam Comes to the US

Posted by: Rusty at 10:08 AM | Comments (9) | Add Comment
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