Just as new questions surface, Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam wins big in reference to some old ones. From AFP, with thanks to the Constantinopolitan Irredentist:
Pop singer turned Muslim activist Yusuf Islam, formerly Cat Stevens, said he had obtained "substantial" damages against two British newspapers which alleged he had been involved in terrorism....The dispute was sparked by reports in the Sunday Times and Sun newspapers following the decision by US authorities in September 2004 to refuse Islam entry to the United States, on what was termed "security grounds"....
Islam's settlement with the two papers saw them also agree to pay his legal costs and pledge not to repeat the allegations, his statement said.
"It seems to be 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," he said.
"The harm done is often difficult to repair. However, I am delighted by the settlement, which helps vindicate my character and good name."
What does a good Muslim do with a settlement?
what is he thinking; "good name" islam my arse. how 'bout another trip to the U.S.
Everytime I see something about Cat Stevens I get all queezy. I had all his albums when I was a young, impressionable girl. Tea for the Tillerman...how sad.
Haven't seen papers mention this...Anyway, am happy to say I haven't got any of his records. Always considered Yusuf had a raspy unattractive voice and questionable talent. Islam recruits from
disturbed, dyfunctional Western families as being a 'Muslim' and 'different' makes the converts feel
'important.'Mr Islam certainly looks absurd in a turban and baggy outfit.Need I say more...
"It seems to be the easiest thing in the world these days to make scurrilous accusations against Muslim..."
Of course, it's no big deal when Muslims blame Israel or The United States for events such as the bombing in Lebanon.
May 23, 1989 Cat Stevens said in a British television program rather than go to a demonstration to burn an effigy of the author Salman Rushdie, ''I would have hoped that it'd be the real thing.' made the remark during a panel discussion of British reactions to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's call for Mr. Rushdie to be killed for allegedly blaspheming Islam in his best-selling novel ''The Satanic Verses.'' He also said that if Mr. Rushdie turned up at his doorstep looking for help, ''I might ring somebody who might do more damage to him than he would like.''
A peaceful man.
From the article: "However, I am delighted by the settlement, which helps vindicate my character and good name."
Well said Cat - now about supporting that little fatwa against Salman Rushdie calling for his murder. But then again, you are referring to your Muslim "good character and name".
Remember Saturday Night Live where it was suggested you change the name of your album from Tea and the Tillerman to Tea and the Killerman. Try suing Lorne Michaels asshole.
But the mayor of London can slander a reporter in public with impunity. Britain's slander/libel laws and new religious thoughtcrime legislation are a one-way ticket to Sharia. The UK will beat France to that destination.
And of course he'll donate a large chunk of the settlement money to a charity that supports
Islamists that Stevens denied during his suit
for Libel(oops,telling the truth) over his ties to
Islamists sympathy and backing.
Once Al-Qaeda destroys the Earth Cats Stevens
can explain to us "Where will the children play"
we said "Where will the cildren play".
Public concerns for Mr. Islam's character and good name should have been settle years ago in the Rushdie affair: he should have no good name, nor should anyone else who is willing to support the assassination of such a scholar and writer.
And the equivocal ways in which he has tried to distance himself from his remarks should make his bad name worse.
Liked 'Peace Train', but ... Deport the bumb.
All the way back to the Middle East.
I did like Cat Stevens. But I don't like Yusef Islam.
Me too rb, I used to enjoy his music.
He didn't sing about inequality, intolerance, supremecy, or any other lovely islamic values.
Can't belive he fell for that shit.
Wake up Cat, you've been sleeping.
Cat Stevens can't get over the fact that during the 70's hardly anyone turned up to one of his concerts in Greece. He couldn't stand the humiliation of that, so he turned to Islam as a security blanket, pure and simple.
"Allah cleans my shoes":
If Stevens ever turns up on my doorstep looking for help I promise I will not 'ring' anyone: My trusted baseball bat and my rottwiller by the name of 'Muhammad' will fix him nicely....
My rottwiellers sing better than Stevens
And are more trustworthy
Well you know what the big stink - with Salman Rushdie was about?
The Satanic Verses really existed - They show where the Prohet Muhammed reverted back to his old religion or the religion of his father Abduhallah - so therefore was seen as being tempted by Satan.
See Allah was already the god of Muhammed's family, and the chief God of the Kaaba, or the black stone which is encircled at Mecca. (The one in all the pictures.)
The problem with Islam is that the Kaaba, the Hajj (pilgramage) and Allah (The God) all existed before Islam.
This is an extremely sensitive area of Islam, an area which many in S.Arabia - would like to forget.
And that is that the religion is a reformated - ancient religion of idols and what we now call mythology.
Allah had three daughters, Allat (the Goddess) Manat and Alluzza. [See Encyclopedia Brit.pg105 Islam] And these where extremely powerful Goddesses in all of the Middle East and straight across Southern Europe.
To create Islam - Muhammed - simply stripped away the Trinity Goddesses and kept the chief Deity of the Kaaba and the God of his family the Quraish - to arrive at the present day - "There is No God But Allah"
Get it!
The Satanic Verses - are the controversial verses, which were included in the first four versions of the Koran and showed the connection between Allah and his daughters.
As to the early history of Islam the more you read the worst it gets! The Moon - that you see everywhere in Islam on top of mosques - had its origins - as Allah was worshiped as a Moon God, like most Gods in the region at that time were divided to Moon and Sun Gods. The Moon symbol was placed on top of the pre-Islamic Kaaba, and was carried through - while all other images were dropped.
What is just history to us - many in Islam - including - it seems Yusef Islam (by his own words) - think that you should die for knowing or speaking of these kinds of things.
British (and Canadian) defamation laws are very different from those in the US -- so much so that one of Giaour's fave authors Craig (not Paul) Unger's book about the House of Saud wasn't published there.
My non-lawyer's understanding is that in the UK and Canada, even if you can prove that something unflattering that you communicated was true, if it was done with the intent to damage rep, you can be found liable and compelled to cough up.
So CS/YI wins one. I don't think he'll be quite so fortunate if he pursues the US government for denying him entry, as he as threatened to do.
Waterdragon:
I don't think Canadian libel law is a draconian as the U.K. (but then I'm not a lawyer). I do believe the defendant has to prove that what he wrote or said was true - perhaps not unreasonable and better than having the person being defamed having to prove the opposite. I am pretty certain that if the statements are true, there is no cause for libel.