Yusuf/Cat Stevens Complains of ‘Monstrous Propaganda Machine’ That Makes People Dislike Islam

PJ Media ^ | 03/07/2026 | Robert Spencer

[SeekAndFind]

The artist and singer/songwriter formerly known as Cat Stevens, and then as Yusuf Islam, and then as Yusuf/Cat Stevens (you can call him anything, just don’t call him late for iftar dinner), early on Thursday morning weighed in on the conflict with the Islamic Republic of Iran. He did not, however, have a negative word to say about the bloodthirsty Iranian regime; instead, he said that the problem was all anti-Muslim propaganda: 

Perhaps I was particularly blessed to have discovered Islam in 1977, before the Iranian Revolution, when Muslims were less visible and the monstrous propaganda machine had not been fully in service to lay the ground for the purposes of today’s wars of conquest in the Middle East. However, Islam’s spiritual message for humanity - like the Sun - is not going away, but deliberately smothered by the doom clouds of continuous wars. 

The pop music elder statesman and doctrinaire Muslim convert seems to be saying that what derailed the peace train was not the Iranian revolution or the brutal regime it brought to power, but Western propaganda designed to justify what he claims were and are “wars of conquest in the Middle East.” The implication is that the need to justify these wars led these evil propagandists to demonize Islam, which has a “spiritual message for humanity” that this propaganda was designed to obscure.

All right. Let’s examine Yusuf’s theory. There have been over 49,000 jihad attacks worldwide since 9/11. Would Yusuf/Cat Stevens have us believe that they didn’t happen, or that they’re all really the fault of Israel and the U.S.? Does he expect us to ignore Islam’s violent, expansionist, supremacist teachings? Its misogyny? Its Jew-hatred?

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TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: becauseisayso; bloggers; catstevens; hasbeenannouncement; islam; islamisterror; islammurders; jihadismurder; muslims; propaganda; religionofpeacetrain; rop

[BenLurkin]

[fruser1]

before the Iranian Revolution

You mean when they were mostly hijacking planes?

[ClearCase_guy]

They’ve been awful for 15 centuries.

[SeekAndFind]

[thegagline]

Cat Stevens got off of the Peace Train a long time ago.

[\/\/ayne]

He sang about peace and family, then suddenly became a terrorist. Weird.

[Antihero101607]

There are certain types of people I simply don’t like because of my observations and interactions with them, not “propaganda”.

[plain talk]

Muslims spew propaganda all the time including forcing their victims to spout their muslim propaganda.

[MtnClimber]

People don’t like islam because of all the evil.

[Texas Eagle]

Perhaps I was particularly blessed to have discovered Islam in 1977,

Perhaps. By happenstance, you've also been blessed not to have been hacked to pieces by a machete wielding islamist on the streets of London or shot to death by an islamist in a bar in Austin or run down by an islamist while celebrating Mardi Gras in New Orleans or, or, or.....

[puppypusher]

Islam is predominantly the religion that it’s supporters not only want to force you to become a member of their flock. they openly threaten you with death if you don’t join.

during the last 20 years I have seen more than enough of Islams violence towards Christians and Jews and other religions.

[frank ballenger]

Record album....

At one point I think every college age woman in the United States had one copy of a Cat Stevens album to play again and again. Their moms once had the first Simon and Garfunkel record. “Hello darkness, my old friend...” 🌃

[metmom]

My first thought.

Along with this.....

[Deo volente]

Their ‘religion’ says to slay the infidels, and that includes me. So to hell with them.

[Celtic Conservative]

Well, if Islam stopped trying to kill anyone who isn’t a muslim perhaps attitudes would change. But then it wouldn’t be “true” Islam.

CC

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

For some reason threatening to murder people if they do not hit their head on the floor five times a day and howl to your blood thirsty moon god does not fill people with a warm glow when they see your ugly mug.

[Texas Eagle]

Yeah, that whole thing with chopping people’s hands off and throwing people off of tall buildings and hanging people from cranes and forcing girls to get clitorectomies and marrying old men and forcing women to wear burlap bags is just so misunderstood.

[Socon-Econ]

It’s easy to hate a religion that spreads by the sword.