Posted on 11/10/2004 7:55:07 AM PST by JesseHousman
ROME - Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev honored the singer once known as Cat Stevens with a peace prize on Wednesday, praising him for charity work and for standing by his convictions despite personal hardships.
Yusuf Islam was awarded the "Man for Peace" award in Rome at the opening of a meeting of Nobel Peace Prize laureates. He last made headlines in September, when he turned up on Washington's no-fly list for having suspected ties to terrorists - a claim he has strongly denied.
The "Peace Train" singer, who largely gave up music after converting to Islam in the late 1970s, mused about the strangeness of being barred from one country while being honored in another.
"Perhaps it's part of the irony that sometimes you have to go through a test in order to achieve a prize," he told reporters. "So maybe that's a symbol. Today I'm receiving a prize for peace, which is actually, I would say, a bit more descriptive of my ideas and my aims in life."
The British musician was expelled from the United States in September after authorities diverted his London-to-Washington flight to Maine to remove him, saying he was suspected of ties to terrorism.
Islam said he was a victim of an "unjust and arbitrary system," and that he has denounced terrorism. He also pointed out that just a few months beforehand, he had met with officials of the White House's Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives to talk about philanthropy.
Gorbachev's foundation and Rome Mayor Walter Veltroni's office, which presented the award, praised Islam for promoting peace and "for having condemned terrorism."
The former Soviet leader alluded to the musician's troubles.
"Cat Stevens' life has not been simple," Gorbachev said. "Every person who takes a critical stance to make the world a better place ... has a difficult life." The two men kissed each other on the cheek as Gorbachev handed over the prize.
The musician is the founder of Small Kindness, a charity to raise money for children and families suffering from poverty and war in the Balkans and Middle East. It has also donated money to victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and to the fight against AIDS in South Africa.
Islam has largely shunned music in recent years, although he did record a new version of his 1971 hit "Peace Train" last year for the album "Hope," which raised money for Iraqi children.
The meeting of Nobel Peace Prize laureates, which ends Friday, is organized every year in Rome by the Gorbachev Foundation. Besides Gorbachev, other Nobel winners present included Lech Walesa, the founder of Poland's Solidarity democracy movement; Rigoberta Menchu Tum, who fought government oppression in Guatemala; and former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung.
Islam said he was honored to be attending - "not as a rock 'n' roller, but as someone who is sharing a platform with these noble examples."
Other recipients of the "Man for Peace" award include Italian actor-director Roberto Benigni, who won in 2002. Benigni directed the Oscar-winning "Life is Beautiful."
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© 2004 AP Wire and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved. http://www.miami.com
Perhaps the honor was because they haven't lost over 3,000 civilians in one day due to a gaggle of islamic killers on a murderous rampage.
Give them time. It will come.
I thought the link would go to "The International Journal of Has-Beens"
Maybe Gorby is just sticking it to us after he had to endure everyone's admiration for Ronald Reagan after his death. He had to just sit in the audience while everyone lauded Reagan for ending the Cold War.
Article makes no mention of the Fatwah Stevens relayes, which prompted his exclusion from the US. Just says he "denounces terrorism." Well, a Fatwah IS terrorism.
Gorby - "He'll be back!"
http://www.greencrossinternational.net/GreenCrossFamily/index.html
I'm pretty sure that Salman Rushdie would not agree that Cat Stevens is a man of peace. Stevens publicly endorsed the death sentence imposed by the Ayatollah.
No, ISLAM is an unjust and arbitrary system:
Saudi Arabia - Conversion by a Muslim to another religion is punishable by death. Bibles are illegal. Churches are illegal.
Yemen - Bans proselytizing by non-Muslims and forbids conversions. The Government does not allow the building of new non-Muslim places of worship.
Kuwait - Registration and licensing of religious groups. Members of religions not sanctioned in the Koran may not build places of worship. Prohibits organized religious education for religions other than Islam.
Egypt -Islam is the official state religion and primary source of legislation. Accordingly, religious practices that conflict with Islamic law are prohibited. Muslims may face legal problems if they convert to another faith. Requires non-Muslims to obtain what is now a presidential decree to build a place of worship.
Algeria - The law prohibits public assembly for purposes of practicing a faith other than Islam. Non-Islamic proselytizing is illegal, and the Government restricts the importation of non-Islamic literature for distribution.
Jordan - Has the death penalty for any Muslim selling land to a Jew.
Are these people nuts?
All commies, muslims and democRATs are nuts!
Gorby honors Cat, a man who says: "Only Islam can bring peace back to the Holy Land.”
From Debbie Schlussel's column about Cat:
http://www.debbieschlussel.com/columns/column092204.shtml
Cat Stevens hates Jews.
He’ll apparently ride the “Peace Train” only if there aren’t any Jews or other “infidels” anywhere near the tracks. Yes, in 1988, the singer of “Peace Train” authored an “informational pamphlet,” called “Eyewitness,” containing these peaceful words:
“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 Cat has become a Rat!
Gorbachev once a world leader now has sunk to giving peace prizes to terrorist sympathizers. What next for Gorby? Probably will go build a house with Jimma Carter and discuss their total irrelevance.
Gorbachev should be condemned for this act by an act of Congress.
I had someone else in mind for the antichrist but I might have to change that now.
Speaking of nuts, was the ol' Peanut Man himself there? One peace award winner to another! He never misses a chance to meet with a communist/despot/terrorist.
Award given while the Orchestra played "Imperial Attack"
By Rachmaninov or Stravinsky?
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