Posted on 02/15/2005 7:29:45 PM PST by wagglebee
LONDON (Reuters) - Yusuf Islam, the pop singer formerly known as Cat Stevens, said on Tuesday he had won substantial damages from two British newspapers which alleged he supported terrorism.
"I am delighted by the settlement which helps vindicate my character and good name," he said after the settlement with The Sun and the Sunday Times.
The singer, who changed his name after converting to Islam in the 1970s, was traveling on a flight from London to Washington when it was diverted to Bangor, Maine last September. He was then deported from the United States.
The U.S. Homeland Security Department said he was deported after his name turned up on U.S. "no fly" lists because of activities they said could be potentially linked to terrorism.
The two newspapers suggested the U.S. authorities had been right to refuse Islam entry to the country.
After winning the libel damages, Islam said: "It seems to me the easiest thing in the world these days to make scurrilous accusations against Muslims, and in my case it directly impacts on my relief work and damages my reputation as an artist."
"The harm done is often difficult to repair," he added in a statement.
The 57-year-old singer intends to contribute the undisclosed damages he receives to projects for orphans hit by the tsunami in South East Asia.
He visited Indonesia in January and is set to release a charity single -- "Indian Ocean" -- later this month.
"At least the money gained through taking legal recourse to clear my name is going to good causes -- but I could do without the headache quite frankly," he said.
Islam said he had not been given a satisfactory explanation by U.S. authorities of the reasons for his deportation.
"Six months after the fiasco of my deportation from the USA, my formal requests for clarification from the authorities there are seemingly being ignored," the singer said.
How about this explanation? With the possible exception of the Oklahoma City bombing, every terrorist act against America has been carried out by Muslims. Muslim is a religion of murder, its not a religion of peace. Therefore, we are being cautious.
The Koran is the Tome of Terrorism. If this jerk supports the Koran (which says to kill you and I for not converting) then he supports terrorism.
Never heard of a religion called 'Muslim' before. Expert on it, are you?
Right. And what you posted was exactly right. Evil is as Islam does.
Which he will likely use to further support terrorism.
How many Muslims are there in the world? A billion or so? The world would be a much different place if all of these people followed a religion of murder.
"every terrorist act against America has been carried out by Muslims"
Well, about 95%. I know the widow of somebody who was murdered by the FALN in New York. Clinton commuted the sentences of most of their members in order to help his wife and Al Gore get Puerto Rican votes.
I had a discussion with a friend just now at dinner regarding the Muslim issue.
The problem is the Koran says to convert and if they refuse, kill them. So what does that mean to us and the future?
Well, bottom line is if this cult causes new terrorists to climb on board every generation, then at some point it will indeed be a war of Islam against all that is not Islam.
We can't every generation be waiting for the next generation of killers to take seed, at some point their cult has to be probably ended.
Either their cult drops the convert or kill belief, or we have to respond in kind. We have no choice.
It is not a smear to point out that Islam is explicitly and unapologetically apartheid.
As does the Old Testament in some place, ad nauseum.
What if that sign in Post 12 said "Aryan" and "Non-Aryan"? It's high time the religion of Islam fesses up to its superiority complex.
Oops, post 13. Great sign by the way.
Not all Muslims are terrorists but most terrorists are Muslim. Some Muslim clerics say that terrorism is un Islamic. Has any one of these clerics issued fatwas against bin Laden, Zarqawi, or Al Zwahiri? I am unaware of any.
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