Yusuf Islam (that's Cat Stevens) booed by angry fans

Malaysia News ^ | 17th November, 2009

[Post-Neolithic]

Just as an FYI, you might want to search for “Salman Rushdie”, the person who had a fatwa(muslim hit contract) against him. Cat Stevens came out and publicly supported said Fatwa.

[Freddd]

You don’t seriously believe it’s not an Islam thing, do ya?

[Emmett McCarthy]

I never cared much for him either. A little too “precious” for my tastes. Kind of a college sophomore singing at a campus coffee house sort of act.

[Clinging Bitterly]

Funny and not at the same time. Hiring an infidel to sing his songs.

[Hodar]

Seriously, If I paid $100 to hear an artist sing a bunch of songs that made him famous; and if he didn’t sing them - I’d storm out and demand my money back.

I don’t care what religon he belongs to. When I pay upwards of $100 for a concert ticket, I have this little idea that the artist who is advertized will actually sing the songs he said he would - not a tribute band. This is about the audience, not the artist.

I don’t care what group, I don’t care what set of circumstances. If I pay to see KISS, Aerosmith, Styx or whomever - they had better be playing, or I’m walking and demanding my money back.

The people walking out had nothing to do with Islam; it had to do with them being cheated out of hearing what they were promised. The concert promo’s likely had clips of the songs that made him famous, so the audience has a reasonable expectation to hear those songs.

Now, if Yusef or whatever he calls himself now said “I will not sing some of my songs that made me famous, for my faith prohibits it; and the songs I will not sing are .....”; then the audience would have had warning.

[ArrogantBustard]

For some odd reason, I always despised that song ... and as it wast the first "Cat Stevens" ditty I ever heard, I despised him.

Somehow, iPhone using that song just fits.

[Question_Assumptions]

Actually, you have to be careful of what you expect if you go see Styx these days, since the acrimonious break-up with Dennis DeYoung. Not only do the remaining Styx members avoid some of DeYoung’s popular ballads in concert but I also went to see a concert billed as Dennis DeYoung performs the music of Styx and not only does he avoid many of the hard rock Styx songs but I’d guess that at least half of his concert wasn’t Styx music and some of that was more Broadway than rock.

[POWERSBOOTHEFAN]

Good! This A-hole once said that Judaism is a false religion. Oh,really? G-d,not Allah,has a different view,you jerk.(I could call him something else but I know my comment will be removed).

[POWERSBOOTHEFAN]

And he can take that train and shove it you-know-where.

[POWERSBOOTHEFAN]

Oh,Lord! I had to hold my laughter back since I’m in the Library!

[Hodar]

Haven’t been to a concert in decades. Between the traffic jams, the outrageous ticket prices and the crowds all vying to get the best seats - I have taken the cowards way out.

I have a home theater, and have a pretty nice system put together (110 inch 1080 screen, 7.1 Dolby Surround, THX Ultra II rated system, ect. ect.) so I have gotten into collecting some concerts filmed in DVD or Blu-Ray. One of the most impressive concerts I have heard is Styx “One with Everything”, where they worked with The Contemporary Youth Orchestra of Cleveland and put together a show.

It was amazing, the kids got to hear what musical talent ia all about - you could see the joy in their faces as they played some of the classical Rock that their parents enjoyed. If you are a Styx fan, and care to rent a Styx concert just to check it out - I gotta give a big thumbs up for this one.

[Billthedrill]

No, Cat, People would cheer when someone other than Bob sang his songs...

You owe me a keyboard.

Bob Dylan once stayed in the same city that was the home to Enrico Caruso, a great singer. See? You can use "Bob Dylan" and "great singer" in the same sentence.

[Riptides]

Not Cat Stevens. He has been outspoken against Americans!

[manic4organic]

My point is that because he’s Muslim he didn’t want to do all those non-Islamic hits.

[manic4organic]

My point is that because he’s Muslim he didn’t want to do all those non-Islamic hits.

[Mount Athos]

I never looked into the reasons why he as well as Cassius Clay converted and changed their names and everything, but both of those Muslim converts have spoken out against the terror acts of 9/11, religious extremism and violence in the name of Islam.

on March 8, 1989, while speaking in London's Regents Park Mosque, Yusuf Islam was asked by a Christian Science Monitor reporter how he would "cope with the idea of killing a writer for writing a book." He is reported to have replied:

In Islam there is a line between let's say freedom and the line which is then transgressed into immorality and irresponsibility and I think as far as this writer is concerned, unfortunately, he has been irresponsible with his freedom of speech. Salman Rushdie or indeed any writer who abuses the prophet, or indeed any prophet, under Islamic law, the sentence for that is actually death. It's got to be seen as a deterrent, so that other people should not commit the same mistake again.

Two months later Yusuf Islam appeared on a British television program, BBC's Hypotheticals, an occasional broadcast which featured a panel of notable guests to explore a hypothetical situation with moral, ethical and/or political dilemmas. In the episode, ("A Satanic Scenario") Stevens/Islam is recorded having this exchange with moderator and Queens Counsel Geoffrey Robertson:[6][7]

Robertson: You don't think that this man deserves to die?
Y. Islam: Who, Salman Rushdie?
Robertson: Yes.
Y. Islam: Yes, yes.
Robertson: And do you have a duty to be his executioner?
Y. Islam: Uh, no, not necessarily, unless we were in an Islamic state and I was ordered by a judge or by the authority to carry out such an act - perhaps, yes.
[Some minutes later, Robertson on the subject of a protest where an effigy of the author is to be burned]
Robertson: Would you be part of that protest, Yusuf Islam, would you go to a demonstration where you knew that an effigy was going to be burned?
Y. Islam: I would have hoped that it'd be the real thing

The New York Times also reports this statement from the program: [If Rushdie turned up at my doorstep looking for help] I might ring somebody who might do more damage to him than he would like. I'd try to phone the Ayatollah Khomeini and tell him exactly where this man is.[8]

[kallisti]

Neglected musicians everywhere toast to your continued well-being.

[Chunga]

It's that idiotic theme song from Harold And Maude. What a piece of musical garbage.

[Albion Wilde]

What next,a benefit for KSM at Madison Square Garden!

He was not permitted to enter the U.S. during the Bush Administration. He will probably receive a red carpet invitation to the White House Wednesday soirees under this Admin. Or maybe an inside tour of the Pentagon. Possibilities are endless.

[Califreak]

LOL!

Recruiters.

You beat me to it.