Interview with Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens)

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Interview with Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens)
by Haj Seyd Mammad
22-Nov-2008
 

As Cat Stevens, Yusuf sold over 60 million albums worldwide. At the height of his fame, he converted to Islam, adopted his Muslim name and retired from the music world.

He has since devoted himself to educational and philanthropic causes in the Muslim community. He founded a school in his native London and the Small Kindness charity. He also received awards for his work in promoting peace. In '06, Yusuf returned to pop music.

Below is the interview of Tavis with Yusuf. I have also included three (3) music-videos which I hope you enjoy:

                                                  Interview

 

                                     Father & Son

 

                                      Peace Train

 

                            Where Do The Children Play

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Cure for cancer

by Malia (not verified) on Tue Apr 07, 2009 11:34 AM PDT

Dear caring husband Ron

If your loving wife is still with us and you happened to read this, then I would strongly suggest Dr.Bradley Nelson and his Emotion Code for her. Recent studies have proofen that cancer is in most cases caused by emotional traumas and can be healed by approaching the trauma itself. Dr.Nelson developed a method which is so simple to learn and to apply and also he gives incredible life-giving therapy via distant healing. You really might want to check this out. Good luck and God/Allah bless
Malia
www.drbradleynelson.com


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To Those Who Hate Him for Converting

by Al Sefati (not verified) on Sun Nov 23, 2008 01:54 PM PST

To those who don't like him because he converted or changed his name:

I rather someone convert to Islam and continuing singing in praise of God instead of someone converting to Islam to bite people's ear off or worst kill people.

I believe we should give credit to people like him and support those like him that choose a peaceful path of Islam when they convert as oppose to those idiots who join terror groups or extremist groups.


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We human beings

by life (not verified) on Sat Nov 22, 2008 09:29 PM PST

We human beings all -- perhaps unbeknownst to ourselves-- are trying to find something greater than what we see, feel and want on the surface.

We are actually looking for the true spirituality which has gotten lost...

It has taken Cat 3 decades to realize music comes from the soul and it is actually not forbidden in any religion, but such interpretation has been given to it.
Perhaps he has evolved and come to this realization.

Can you be a God loving person and not love music?

Impossible.


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IRANdokht

Thank you!

by IRANdokht on Sat Nov 22, 2008 08:14 PM PST

I used to love Cat Stevens' music and his voice, ages ago and I still like him no matter what his chosen name is. I am just glad he's singing again.

Thanks for the great blog

IRANdokht


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MRX1, to make you happy...

by Anonymous Mard (not verified) on Sat Nov 22, 2008 08:07 PM PST

We can listen to sermons by your favorite rabbis. Would that make you happy? Are we on Israeli.com or Iranian.com? I think you might be on the wrong website. There are plenty of Judeo-Fascist and Zio-Nazi websites out there for you. Might I suggest starting with the Jerusalem Post...


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I rather

by MRX1 (not verified) on Sat Nov 22, 2008 01:59 PM PST

listen to khomeini's chert o pert than this guy's music! At least the other one is authentic islamo facist. this one is a copy cat.


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Anyone know what hotel Yusuf Islam (aka Cat Stevens) is staying

by RonaldMitchell (not verified) on Sat Nov 22, 2008 11:54 AM PST

We heard he is in the NYC area; my wife is probably his biggest fan in the world!
She is dying of cancer and in her last stages, I thought it would be a nice thing for her to try to see him before she leaves this earth as he has meant so much to her throughout all of these years.
Thanks in advance!
Love & Gold Bless,
A caring dedicated Husband Ron


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Dear David: That is what

by sickofislamists (not verified) on Sat Nov 22, 2008 09:07 AM PST

Dear David: That is what Islam does; kills creativity, innovation, etc. It also renders one's brain power as useless and irrelevant.

Islam is an instruction manual on thought contorl and in turning its subjuates into slavish automatons, period. As a muslim, you're discouraged to be a human thinking.

Critical thinking, and creativity, enlgihtnment, self-actualization are threats to the perpetuation of the religion of Islam. If independent thinking and creativity ever starts to penetrate in the culture of Islam, millions of ayatollahs and mullahs will be out of a job.


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David ET

Cat vs Yusuf

by David ET on Sat Nov 22, 2008 09:01 AM PST

I wrote this about Cat few years ago. He has come a long way BACK and since then has realized more that it his music was not sinful nor is it a sin to sing again but here is what I wrote about him at that time: 

"For few years, it was sad to see that a man’s religion (or his interpretation of it), deprived humanity and himself of a God given musical blessing of the artist that he once was. A dogma that initially converted him to a cliché Muslim who only allowed himself to read repeated verses of Quran as the only words allowed to be sung by a human. Cat Stevens in his search for an answer embraced the same God that he was running away from. A God that even his newly found religion had warned him about. A God that turns Godly voices to mono-tones . He still served many in his new journey: orphans, children, etc but at the bigger cost of leaving millions.

When he denounced the so called material world, he also denounced his fans and his own music. Although one still could see the passion and the spark in his eyes whenever he once reluctantly answered a question about his music. He said he first wanted to perfect himself, in the fear of his music being used by the devil. But it was not the devil that he feared, it was death that he was afraid of. And a promise at the moment of possible sinking in the ocean of Malibu, California that made him choose another path which was nothing but killing his own creativity. He did not know about Islam then, he found Allah later but what he did not recognize was that the death in the ocean and the God that he found later were the same God of fear and neither wanted him to sing. But the God that brought him back to the shore with a strong ocean-wave was the same one who had given him the strong sound-wave to sing. To me Cat Stevens died that day in the oceans of Malibu and the new man that stepped on the sands was another man. The one that called himself Yusuf Islam shortly after that. The only thing that connected the two was the fear of death that bound them together. I still think there is another strong factor behind all the publicity and that is his muslim wife, the woman that he now has 5 children with.

In the past few years he has started to sing again, but until he allows himself the FREEDOM that an artist requires to express his deepest feelings, what he will express will only be an attempt that will not make him the star that he once was. In the internal struggle between Cat and Yusuf, recently Cat has been showing up a little. Although I have respect for both but I prefer one to another. "

What I can add today is that :

It took 30 years and gladly Cat and Yusuf have eventually merged to a content and creative coexistence...


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desi

He's played on heavy

by desi on Sat Nov 22, 2008 07:11 AM PST

He's played on heavy rotation in our house.  Love him!


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I Have a Crush on Alex Trebek

He is wonderful. Done a lot for charity too.

by I Have a Crush on Alex Trebek on Sat Nov 22, 2008 05:52 AM PST

I respect this guy. Normally I hate religion, but in his case, you can't. He has helped people, more than most.

Also, he has the theme song for Extras with Ricky Gervais! Tea for Tillerman. 


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behmanchea

THANK YOU.

by behmanchea on Sat Nov 22, 2008 02:27 AM PST

 

An extraordinary musician and genuinely brave man 

 

 

 


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