Everytime we sing Morning Has Broken in church I think of Cat Stevens. Funny how things turn out.
He wrote and performed gentle music in a turbulant time. Based on his popularity and compared to some others in the Hall of Fame, I would think his invitation is appropriate.
His religious conversion is a personal issue, like Cassius Clay/Mohammed Ali.
Ali was quick to distance himself and his beliefs from the radical, violent extremists. Didn't he make an appearance on the Concert for Heros after 9/11? Did Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam make any kind of statement? Is there anything other than the fact that he is a (converted) Moslem that would support those who think he is in league with the fundamental, violent, extremists?
"Is there anything other than the fact that he is a (converted) Moslem that would support those who think he is in league with the fundamental, violent, extremists?"
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How about this statement from the peaceful Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam:
“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.”
If that's not enough, how about this?
In May 1999, Stevens/Islam was the keynote speaker at the “Second ‘United for Al-Quds Conference.’” Al-Quds is the Islamic name for Jerusalem. The conference was sponsored by the “Who’s Who” of America’s radical Muslim groups which support terror and refuse to denounce HAMAS and Hezbollah (which murdered over 300 American marines and civilians in the 1980s, while they slept).
link http://www.debbieschlussel.com/columns/column092204.shtml
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/004/667bkgnr.asp
Yusuf Islam is already well known for his public endorsement of the death sentence issued by Ayatollah Khomeini against Salman Rushdie in February 1989. "Salman Rushdie, indeed any writer who abuses the prophet or indeed any prophet under Islamic law, the sentence for that is actually death," he said at the time. In addition, he has been barred from entering Israel because of alleged financial aid given to terrorist groups.
Is the singer a terrorist himself? Probably not. Is he an active sympathizer of terrorist groups? Perhaps not as much as he was in the past.
>>Did Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam make any kind of statement? Is there anything other than the fact that he is a (converted) Moslem that would support those who think he is in league with the fundamental, violent, extremists?<<
I read (but cannot corroborate) accounts here on FR where Yusaf said he was in favor of the assassination of Salman Rushdie (sp?), and that if his Mullah asked him to kill for Allah, he wouldn't hesitate.
But I do remember hearing many accounts of his statement about Rushdie, at the time. I believe it was what many Americans to boycott his music.