Cat Stevens sucks!

[bif]

Not only does his music suck, he supported the fatwa on Salmon Rushdie. So why are people defending him? I just don't get it. Flame away, folks.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

1. I have to agree with bif.

You're a brave man, bif. I'll stand with ya.

[bif]

6. Thanks SLB!

[Mistress Quickly]

2. C'mon BIF

get on the Peace Train.

Cat Stevens I believe was a supporter of the Ayatollah Khomenie, which would fall in line for the support of the fatwa against Rushdie.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

4. Khomeni wasn't exactly a nice guy, y'know?

[Cocoa]

3. I'm sure this will be a productive discussion

how can it not be when it starts out with such fascinating, original insights, expressed so thoughtfully.

[bif]

5. Hey, I spent hours composing that.

[Surf Cowboy]

38. Lemme guess. You must like Yusuf Islam's music...

[9119495]

7. His music is okay, his politics suck. Come on people...death to

Rushdie? Stevens (Islam) has had numerous chances to recant his support of the Ayatolla and to my knowledge has not done so. He may be the enemy of gwb and ashcroft, but that does not make him my friend.

[pagerbear]

8. I'm with you

Loved his music as a kid. His politics suck. 'nuff said.

[skooooo]

9. Obese Train sounding louder....

Everyone climb on the Obese Train....!!!


sing along!!

[Wright Patman]

11. Whoa!

Don't everyone jump on it or the Obese Train will surely derail.

[skooooo]

12. Yes, obese train holy roller!!

Everyone jump upon the obese train
Come on now obese train!

[ElsewheresDaughter]

16. skooooo....... i don't wanna ;) sing i have a shitty voice

;)

[skooooo]

20. You could whistle or just bounce around ??

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :shrug:

[demnan]

10. One crazy religious fanatic

but at least he doesn't hold public office.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

13. The Israelis accuse him of funneling cash to Hamas.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/832796.stm

Yusuf Islam, 51, changed his name after becoming a Muslim in the late 1970s, and last visited Israel in 1988.

The government claims that during that trip, he delivered tens of thousands of dollars to Hamas, a militant Islamic group.

Two years later, in 1990, he tried to enter again along with his eight-year-old son but was turned away.

[RebelOne]

14. I could care less about his politics

I have always loved his music.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

18. me too ..i also have always loved his lyrics and music and always will

[mvd]

31. Me three!

His music is beautiful and moving. "Morning Has Broken" is one of my favorite songs.

[wtmusic]

15. Very dismissive, aren't we today?

Y'all might want to read his own words, and not those of People magazine:

"Suddenly the media tried linking me to supporting the Iran's Fatwa on Salman Rushdie. The fact is that I never did support the Fatwa. Such is the irony. You wouldn't ask a Christian to deny one of the Ten Commandments; equally, as a new Muslim, I couldn't deny that the Quran, just like Leviticus in the Bible, forbade blasphemy and if there is no repentance, made it a capital offence.

But what most people-including many Muslims-fail to recognize, is that the Quran repeatedly calls on believers to repent, to uphold the rule of civility and not to take the law in their own hands. Clerics and extremists who call for the assassination of civilians outside the recognized bounds of the Islamic State without due process are wholly out of line with the limits and spirit of Islam. The Koran states, 'And do not let your hatred of some people…cause you to transgress (the law).'"

http://www.iberr.co.za/searchlight.htm

Islam has also been exceedingly generous with his time and money:

http://www.yusufislam.org.uk/charity.htm

[Screaming Lord Byron]

17. Backpedal, backpedal.

He voiced support for the fatwa at the time. Like I say, hypocrite.

I believe the BBC over this hypocrite.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/832796.stm

'The former peformer also made headlines when he supported the death sentence issued by Iran against author Salman Rushdie.'

[wtmusic]

19. Paraphrase, paraphrase

You can either go to the source, or... :eyes:

[Screaming Lord Byron]

21. Hey, I imagine it hurts.

You like his music, but unfortunately, a hypocrite is a hypocrite.

I trust the BBC.

[wtmusic]

22. Very funny

You trust a news outlet's version of what someone said, over what they actually said.

Don't particularly like his music (don't have any). Just don't care for Islamophobes.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

24. Yeah. I trust the world's premier news source

over a man who has reason to be untruthful on this matter.
Of course, you just call people who disagree Islamophobes.

[Surf Cowboy]

39. What, you were there in person? Oh, you got it from a news source, too...

[Beware the Beast Man]

29. Well, he neither condoned it nor condemned it.

I'll have to go with SLB on this one- he backpedaled.

[jukes]

23. he's an asshole

his '70s music was mediocre.
he's a *faux* muslim extremist.


BUT, he isn't going to commit an act of terrorism & his exclusion from visiting the states is reprehensible.

[bif]

26. He should be kept out of the country for his music

Not for his religious or political beliefs.

[Zookeeper]

43. Hi Bif!

I agree since I'm indifferent to his music, except that I wouldn't go out of my way to rush to the aid of a religious fundamentalist of any stripe, either. He is the type that only inspires me to roll my eyes. :eyes:

(Hey, how's it going?)

[bif]

46. Hey there Zookeeeper!

I'm doing just fine. And you?

[Zookeeper]

48. Insanely busy...

with lots to tell. 'Will e-mail soon! :hi:

[libertad]

25. So, it's ok to persecute someone you think "sucks" because they think

differently than you? You should be right at home in today's America.

[redqueen]

35. Well said.

Therein lies the danger in any fight - becoming too much like your enemy.

:hi:

[BiggJawn]

27. Warm Fuzzies for "Tea for the Tillerman"...

C'mon people, that was almost 30 year ago!

People change. Cat supports people who'd like to see you dead because you don't have a beard or wear a burkha...

[jukes]

30. BJ

my neighbors wd like to burn me @ the stake because i'm an atheist.
xian extremists torch health clinics, promote the killing of homosexuals, bomb lesbian bars and government buildings w/child day care facilities.

our fundies roam freely in this country, armed to the teeth.

the "artist" formerly known as cat stevens is a joke, not a threat. if they won't let him visit, falwell, et al, shd be deported.

[redqueen]

34. Oooh great idea!

I'll drink to that!

:toast:

[BiggJawn]

36. Can I help load Jerry?

You're right. "TAFKACS" is not a "threat".
Not when compared to our own "Taliborn-agains"...

[Beware the Beast Man]

28. Screw semantics.

He sucks...

[ElsewheresDaughter]

32. while i respectfully disagree with your opinion i love your .......

"unfit for command" link :thumbsup:

[redqueen]

33. Sorry

but I disagree... he's clearly not all there when it comes to politics, but his music I love.

I always associate it with Harold and Maude, and that's very pleasant. Also this amazing Italian guy I dated. He was an ass, but he made up for it kinda.

:evilgrin:

[OneBlueSky]

37. sorry, bu I like Cat Stevens and his music . . .

as for his politics, it's evolved a lot since his early days as a Muslim . . . he's done a lot to educate people about Islam -- what it is and what it isn't . . . as for supporting a fatwa against Rushdie, he disavowed that years ago . . . you can check out his views yourself on his website . . .

http://www.yusufislam.org.uk/

[Screaming Lord Byron]

40. Oh, come on. It's his personal website.

What do you think he's going to say? 'Yes, I'm a bigoted zealot'?

[mr blur]

41. Not sure you're right about the Rushdie fatwa...

... but his music does really suck.

[HEyHEY]

42. I like his music - but he does suck

I remember the fatwa - as Dennis Miller said on SNL at the time "Keep riding that peacetrain Cat"

[Mike Daniels]

44. It's interesting that radio had started to play his music a few years back

after pretty much freezing him out after the Rushdie commentary.

It'd be interesting to see what happens in light of this incident.

[AmandaRuth]

45. not sure on his politics, but MoonShadow

is a great song, with a very enchanting video, sweet without being sappy. IMHO, and as above flame away,

[chiburb]

47. How long will it take his luggage to catch up with him?

And...
Why did he fly instead of taking the Peace Train?

[politicat]

49. Fundamentalism of any sort is dangerous and YI/CS is a fundamentalist.

While I have no issues with refusing him entry, I also think there are others who need to be deported just as badly, but they're citizens unfortunately.

I've been disturbed by the man ever since he wrote a Nasheed that has a verse that says :

oh victory's coming
and history will tell
cuz the disbelieving army is heading for hell
and paradise belongs to the pious and firm
we say to god we belong and to him we return

That's not a peaceful statement. That's not a tolerant statement. That's a political statement.

As it happens, a Nasheed is an sing-song poem without instrumentation. They can be chanted by men, but are forbidden to women except in private, all women groups during 'Id and at weddings. Nasheeds are not allowed poetic license; the theory is they must be "from the heart" and in strict accordance with Sharia law.

Islam - tolerant, forgiving and good for women? Only when compared to the barbarity of the 7th century.

Note: I'm not an Islamophobe; I say similar things about Christianity and Judaism, too. Religions of the Book are bad for human beings and other living things.

Pcat

[Zuni]

50. I agree

I hate his music and I hate his politics.