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Cat Stevens Collects Damages Over Terrorist Claims

By Jeralyn, Section War on Terror
Posted on Tue Feb 15, 2005 at 09:11:37 PM EST
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Musician Yusuf Islam, formerly Cat Stevens, has settled lawsuits with two British newspapers that alleged he had terrorist ties. He will donate the proceeds to charties helping the Tsunami orphans.

The singer, who changed his name after converting to Islam in the 1970's, was traveling last September on a flight from London to Washington when it was diverted to Bangor, Me. He was then deported from the United States.

The Department of Homeland Security said he was deported after his name turned up on lists of individuals prohibited from entering the United States because of activities the department said could be linked to terrorism.

The two newspapers suggested that the American authorities had been right to refuse Mr. Islam entry.

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    Cat Stevens Collects Damages Over Terrorist Claims | 17 comments (17 topical)
    Re: Cat Stevens Collects Damages Over Terrorist Cl (none / 0) (#1)
    by bad Jim on Tue Feb 15, 2005 at 09:34:43 PM EST
    Although this underscores the comparative unfairness of British libel law, I say good for him. What does it say about America that we deny entry to people like Cat Stevens or Bernadette Devlin McAliskey? That we're afraid of our own shadow? That no risk is so small that we can accept it?

    Re: Cat Stevens Collects Damages Over Terrorist Cl (none / 0) (#2)
    by Mycos on Tue Feb 15, 2005 at 09:43:57 PM EST
    Good for him! Well...first I'd like to qualify that statement by saying that first, I'd like to kick his ass over that Salmun Rushdie statement he made. But then I'd like to pat him on the back.

    Re: Cat Stevens Collects Damages Over Terrorist Cl (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Feb 15, 2005 at 11:14:57 PM EST
    I really don't care if Cat Stevens is or isn't allowed in- I think he is harmless, although Salman Rushdie may think otherwise. I think about every blogger here and at most sites would probably be liable to someone over something under British Libel law. The cousins keep a tighter rein on speech than we do, as do the French and the Germans.

    Re: Cat Stevens Collects Damages Over Terrorist Cl (none / 0) (#4)
    by kdog on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 06:02:09 AM EST
    Agreed that British libel laws stifle free speech. Good for Cat for donating the proceeds, he seems to practice what he preaches. He preaches peace, at least with his art.

    Re: Cat Stevens Collects Damages Over Terrorist Cl (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 06:46:57 AM EST
    Ride that "piece" train, Cat!

    Re: Cat Stevens Collects Damages Over Terrorist Cl (none / 0) (#6)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 08:53:49 AM EST
    The Sunday Times UK and the Sun's libel would be an actionable crime in the US as well, since it is demonstrably without any basis in documentable fact. Which is why they settled. Since this wasn't a court settlement (as far as I can tell), the stringency of UK libel law isn't the issue. BOTH COMPANIES ARE OWNED BY MURDOCH (i.e. FOX) More important is that this is another example of using an innocent to provide cover for Bush during a bad media moment. They threw this harmless singer to the wolves, endangering both him and his daughter, and terrifying planeloads of also-innocents, yet again, for their political needs in the moment. Two items I gleaned off the press release on yusefislam.org: "Allegations recently published by another newspaper, The Sunday Telegraph (13 February, 2005), suggested that one of the undisclosed causes for the US authority's decision was because of a claim that Yusuf Islam donated to a UK charity nine years ago." This, I believe, was used to beat him over the head on Fox and Limbaugh (shouldn't that guy's name be Laudanum?) in the US as well. Who owns the Sunday Telegraph? Need you ask? "It transpires, however, that this amounted to but a single donation dating back sixteen years for the express purpose of purchasing a vehicle to collect old clothes gifted to the needy." And this: "only two months previously he was invited to the White House where he discussed his Small Kindness charity projects with President Bush's Inter-Faith Initiative officials and was even invited to meet the President himself." They should have given him a permanent press pass, some Valerie Plame outing info, and invited him to Dick Cheney's Annual Long Pig Barbeque & SCOTUS-bribing Fiesta; hosted by Hannity, who promises to eat a live weasel standing on his head in a tank of excrement, if anyone can find a documented case where he told 'the truth.' Yet another disgusting Bushliar/Murdoch production.

    Re: Cat Stevens Collects Damages Over Terrorist Cl (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 09:42:05 AM EST
    Yes.

    Re: Cat Stevens Collects Damages Over Terrorist Cl (none / 0) (#8)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 11:40:57 AM EST
    On a related topic, Libel law review over McDonald's ruling.

    Re: Cat Stevens Collects Damages Over Terrorist Cl (none / 0) (#9)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 11:23:44 PM EST
    "Good for Cat for donating the proceeds" Is he giving money to Hamas and al Qaeda through the ISRA again? Could this be why we wont let him in?

    Re: Cat Stevens Collects Damages Over Terrorist Cl (none / 0) (#10)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 11:47:38 PM EST
    Burger Boy, read the article. He's giving the money to the orphans in the Tsunami disaster.

    Re: Cat Stevens Collects Damages Over Terrorist Cl (none / 0) (#11)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Feb 17, 2005 at 12:18:43 AM EST
    Thanks TL I didn’t see that part before... Open mouth, insert foot.....

    Re: Cat Stevens Collects Damages Over Terrorist Cl (none / 0) (#12)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Feb 17, 2005 at 01:51:29 AM EST
    Yeah, ooops, outed yourself trying to reverse spin the SAME DISPROVEN MURDOCK LIES back into existence. What a clown. Go to your mirror and repeat this over and over until you understand that just because Bush tells Murdoch to help spread anti-Islamic hatred by attacking innocent muslims, that doesn't make it true, AS MURDOCK HAS NOW ADMITTED. Liar! "As well as agreeing to pay substantial damages in relation to these false and highly defamatory allegations, both newspapers also published prominent apologies in which they acknowledged that Mr Islam is not, and never has been, involved in or supported terrorism, and that he abhors all such activities." Do you come here to do anything OTHER than spread lies?

    Re: Cat Stevens Collects Damages Over Terrorist Cl (none / 0) (#13)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Feb 17, 2005 at 08:13:15 AM EST
    Paul in LA I am that far off the mark....?
    Hakeem Olajuwon said Tuesday he was funding legitimate humanitarian projects when he gave tens of thousands of dollars to charities which the government later accused of having links to al-Qaida and other terror groups. But Olajuwon refused to say whether he supports the militant version of Islam espoused by several of the groups he supported through his Houston mosque.
    Re: Cat Stevens Collects Damages Over Terrorist Cl (none / 0) (#14)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Feb 17, 2005 at 11:49:44 AM EST
    More from the Cat Stevens “peaceful” religion of Mohammadanism. Yusuf Islam's comments in 1989 supporting the death sentence for Salman Rushdie after the publication of Rushdie's novel The Satanic Verses provoked controversy. During this time period an Iranian fatwa (religious ruling) was issued, holding that it was an obligation of Muslims to kill Salman Rushdie. ‘This issue of music in Islam is not as cut-and-dried as I was led to believe," he said. "I relied on hearsay, that was perhaps my mistake."’ I think the “peace train” now has some bombs on board. Why is it ok for Islam to kill apostates?

    Re: Cat Stevens Collects Damages Over Terrorist Cl (none / 0) (#15)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Feb 17, 2005 at 01:42:00 PM EST
    Hilarious. Tens of thousands of totally innocent Iraqi mothers are splattered all over their kitchen walls. But Salmon Rushdie, now THERE'S something the wingers find outrageous. Cat Stevens made a stupid statement. You people were calling for the death of Ward Churchill fifteen minutes ago, and the same for Thom. Daschle a year or two back. You are the planet's biggest hypocrites. Congratulations, you suck.

    Re: Cat Stevens Collects Damages Over Terrorist Cl (none / 0) (#16)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Feb 17, 2005 at 06:02:02 PM EST
    My apologies Paul, I didn’t know that President Bush went to war without the approval of Congress and most of the illiberal democrats. I see you are outraged at President Bush for Iraq, do you hold the same contempt for the insurgents in Iraq that target civilians or do you play the apologist for the insurgents also? You also may want to recheck those numbers... it is not tens of thousands, even by the most liberal counts.

    Re: Cat Stevens Collects Damages Over Terrorist Cl (none / 0) (#17)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Feb 18, 2005 at 03:46:28 AM EST
    The only way he bailed his ass out for that warcrime was finding WMD. He just thinks he's above the law, and that's antidemocratic. He should RESIGN, now. He should apologize to every soldiers family on the list, too, but he's too much of a coward. -- They going to give you a page in the fascist nudie calender they're working up, BB? I bet Schwartz. would stuff your head in his armpit if you ask him nice.

    Cat Stevens Collects Damages Over Terrorist Claims | 17 comments (17 topical)