Screw Cat Stevens.

[skooooo]

From what I read, he's a real ass.

[mhr]

1. And Your Marveled Drivel Is Based On What Evidence?

eom

[skooooo]

17. this

Even popular musician Yusuf Islam (aka Cat Stevens) indirectly yet infamously stated his agreement with the fatwa. But later in 1989, Yusuf Islam said in a British television documentary that he wasn't against the death sentence in principle: Rather than go to a demonstration where Rushdie would be burned in effigy, "I would have hoped that it'd be the real thing" he said. If Rushdie showed up at his door, he said he "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." The New York Times reported that he stood by his statements in a subsequent interview.

[bowens43]

2. What did you read?

[Brian_Expat]

3. No, no, no

He's a hero standing bravely against Bush!

Don't make me accuse you of being a ZIONIST!

</extreme left rant mode>

Tiresome isn't it?

[skooooo]

13. Very tiresome.

[Swede]

4. Anyone that is ok with a death sentence to an author

is a relegious fanatic.

[Mika]

7. Isn't Saddam an author?

eom

[Brian_Expat]

16. Oh brother. n/t

[Swede]

18. What's your point.

Salman Rushdie wrote a book,don't buy the book if you feel so threatened.

[mitchtv]

5. one less fundamentalist as far as I am concerned

I'm ambivalent as to his problems. Any religious fundamentalist is an undesirable

[Brian_Expat]

9. You obviously DON'T get it

Opposition to crazy Christian fundies = strong liberal standing up for America

Opposition to crazy Muslim fundies = hateful judgmental conservative Zionist bastard

Or at least in the minds of some of the less balanced in our big tent.

[Minstrel Boy]

10. Such a black and white attitude sounds almost

fundamentalist.

The tolerant should tolerate all.

[Brian_Expat]

12. I'll tolerate his right to enter the USA

When he tolerates my right to exist.

Until then, stay the hell out.

[mitchtv]

19. thanks Brian

I needed that.

[Brian_Expat]

20. As a liberal, I tire of the "tolerance" of the intolerant

Muslim fundamentalists attempting to force their "sharia" on liberal society are NO different than crazed Christofascists trying to do the same thing. It is not "Islamophobic" or "wrong" or "bigoted" to note this and take a stand against religious fascism.

[KC21304]

6. Somehow I don't think Bob Dylan would agree with you.

In my opinion they have very much in common.

[skooooo]

14. not necessarily..

If he supported the fatwa to have Rushdie killed. That's BS.

[VOX]

8. Sources please? And even if he is an "ass", should he be denied...

entrance to the U.S.? This country is full of asses -- so what's the problem with another one, and just visiting at that?

Even considering his fundamentalism, should he be turned away from just visiting?

Yessir, the land of the free, and the home of the brave.

[skooooo]

15. Ok, here.

Even popular musician Yusuf Islam (aka Cat Stevens) indirectly yet infamously stated his agreement with the fatwa. But later in 1989, Yusuf Islam said in a British television documentary that he wasn't against the death sentence in principle: Rather than go to a demonstration where Rushdie would be burned in effigy, "I would have hoped that it'd be the real thing" he said. If Rushdie showed up at his door, he said he "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." The New York Times reported that he stood by his statements in a subsequent interview.

[VOX]

22. You've got text, but no source.

What source is this text coming from?

Look, don't get me wrong -- I detest fundamentalist thinking of any stripe. And if Stevens/Islam did indeed say those things, he is without a doubt a major-league asshole.

BUT -- do his thoughts/religious beliefs represent a significant enough danger to the U.S. so that he should be denied entrance as a visitor?

My beef is that when our government starts determining who's a "threat" because of what they think or believe, then we're **all** in big trouble.

[merh]

11. The irony of the Cat Stevens controversy is that * and his

evil family and evil admin and evil corporate backers support Saudi Arabia, allow the Royal family to come and go as they please and 15 of the 19 terrorists were Saudi. It is okay for * to be friends with and his family and friends to profit from their associations with the Saudis, the real group that funded the terrorists.

[UdoKier]

21. Cat Stevens who performed "Peace Train" was cool as hell.

Yusuf Islam, who advocated the murder of Salman Rushdie and allegedly gave money to Palestinian militants before being ejected from Israel, is an asshole.

[Name removed]

23. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

24. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Moderator]

25. duplicate thread

please continue here
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=2413547&mesg_id=2413547