So he wrote some songs (I probably have an old Cat Stevens LP in a box in my closet) 25 years ago. The lyrics were happy, and talked of love and peace. I suppose that explains why he gave money to Hamas and wrote anti-Semetic brochures for them? After all, supporting organizations that blow up busses full of school children is how a wealthy Muslim shows courage these days...

I find it interesting that Hamas has no stomach to fight in Jordan. That kingdom kicked their asses out (not before killing 80,000 of them), and it was only then that the "Palestinians" decided they wanted to live on land occupied by Israel.

TKJ: Whatever. I'd like to see the proof of the things you speak of.

The United States is shutting down its house, building walls around itself. That is a recipe for disaster. Bush is disallowing research on stem cells, and as a result the US is being left behind in this important scientific research.

In the 15th Century China led the world in advanced technology, then suddenly development stopped. Why? A new leader came to power and closed the doors off to the outside world. History repeats in different ways. Geo Bush is the worst thing that could have happened to this country. Violence begets violence, and closing off the doors means regression and a reversal of growth.

Too bad (for us) that the guy is dumb as a post and doesn't know much about history.

Update on the cat:

He says,

"I wasn't handcuffed or anything like that. They treated me very well. The one positive thing I can say is that a lot of security officers are very pleased because they got my autograph."

Among the charities he has supported are children affected by war in Bosnia and Iraq as well as victims of the September 11, 2001, attacks against America, which he condemned.

http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=entertainmentNews&storyID=589251§ion=news

Hey TJK.

You know the Israeli's have been known to tell a few whopper's in thier time! You can't believe everything you read.

Yusuf Islam I believe is genuine, but I can't prove it.

Here is what he has publicly stated regarding terrorism and his belief in Islam: "No right-thinking follower of Islam could possibly condone such an action," he wrote. "The Quran equates the murder of one innocent person with the murder of the whole of humanity."

I don't know about you, but I lived in Tehran for 3 years under the Shah's regime, and loved it. I was a teenager at the time. I thought Iran was kind of nutty and the people maybe a little too passionate about stuff we in the west regarded as not so important, etc. But at the end of the day they were pretty much looking for the same things in life that we in the west look for: security, comfort, love, etc. There were good and bad people there and good and bad Muslims I'm sure. Bottom line is the west is now being conditioned to believe ANYTHING Islamic is a threat.

This latest move (on Yusuf Islam) looks like a very public message to Muslims, western opponents to the Bush Doctrine, and the rest of the world that the US is inching towards a Putin-like lock down based on massively irrational fears. Most of the rest of the world, outside the US, see's many of these reactions by the current regime as an attempt to condition American's to the idea that less freedom is the future, and opposition is not allowed.

Welcome to the NWO!

Cheers Rich

- which country can be thought of as an empire with bases around the world to secure energy and mineral wealth?

- which one country overthrows democracies (Venezuala) to install puppet dictatorships?

- which one country arms dictators (Saddam, Noriega), then invades to protect us from those weapons?

- which one country has dropped nuclear weapons on a city?

- which western power suspended most civil rights?

- which western country uses unauditable corruptable computer touch screens to count votes?

- which one country openly flaunts the United Nations, using their superior weapons of mass destruction to hold the rest of the world hostage?

If you support the round up of terrorists, one day they might call you a terrorist.

First Homeland Security came for the communists, and I did not speak out--
because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out--
because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out--
because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out--
because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me--
and there was no one left to speak out for me.

Emily, you are uninformed -- please educate yourself. A simple Google search will reveal Yusef Islam's ties to Hammas. IMO Hamas is not a "charity" any rational human being would be proud of. Their charter advocates unlimited violence.

Closing doors? Funny you should say that as the current administration is roundly criticized for its interventionist foreign policy. Some people it seems learned a lesson from WWII -- we are better off confronting threats early, before they turn into something much worse. The Clinton Administration ignored Islamic radicals for eight years, played games with North Korea and Iran over their nuclear programs, and let Robert Rubin and Alan Greenspan print money so we could pretend we were prosperous. Clinton did bomb the Serbs (doing Europe's dirty work) in a largely unjustified use of American military power.

The Bush administration is now dealing with those multiple problems and seems to have its priorities correct. A world where Islamic radicals control nuclear or biological weapons will mark the end of civilization as we know it. We are in a war that will eventually involve both Iran and North Korea. The Germans, French, Chinese, and Russians will sit back and wring their hands as American soldiers do (once again) what has to be done.

As for stem cell research, Bush is the first President to actually authorize government funding to support it. There is one restriction, the U.S. government does not fund research using new cultures of cells taken from human embryos, but private groups are free to do as they wish. The existing lines of human stem cells (50 to 140 depending on who's counting them) can be used in federally funded studies.

China had an advanced civilization in the 15th Century? Again, you are uninformed. The Chinese rulers did keep artists and intellectuals as "pets" for their amusement. Very little of the intellectual property and knowledge they developed was ever used or applied to the benefit of the remaining 99.99% of the population, so how can you characterize this as advancing civilization? It was however a good example of a dead-end in terms of governance.

Hey TJK.

Can you find anything to confirm your position on Yusuf Islam?

Here is what I found on the www.catstevens.com webiste:

September 21st, 2004
BOGUS ACCUSATIONS
A recent news story regarding Yusuf Islam (Bio) (Cat Stevens (Bio)) being deported and a plane diverted due to his being on a terrorist "watch list" has recently hit the press. CatStevens.Com has not yet spoken to Yusuf or a spokesperson, but we want to assure all readers that Yusuf has in no way supported any terrorist groups or activities. In fact he has a long record of doing just the opposite.

Investigations into Yusuf's own charities and his contributions to others have never shown any terrorist connections. Such accusations are completely ridiculous and unfounded. Yusuf Islam has devoted his life to peace. He lives it and he believes it. His being on any sort of "watch list" is certainly an error. It's also a very sad state of affairs when a man best known as a peace loving pop star can be grouped into the same category as Osama Bin Laden just because of his chosen faith.

---------------------------------------

Your perspective seems almost cut and pasted out of "The Clash of Civilizations" which is a justification for the neocon agenda.

Cheers Rich

Yes, Mr. Lancaster, you are right about Yusef Islam, and of course, all of these people are lying:

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

http://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/6453/emerson.html
"IAP has set up an elaborate publications and video operation to promote Hamas, in both Arabic and English. While the Arabic publications brazenly support Hamas, IAP's English-language literature and videos clearly intended for non-Muslim Western audiences--are relatively tame, refraining, for the most part, from advocating terrorism and hatred against Jews and Christiansbut not entirely. One IAP publication entitled "America's Greatest Enemy: The Jew and an Unholy Alliance," has been routinely distributed at Islamist conventions. Another lAP brochure, authored by Yusef Islam, formerly known as the singer Cat Stevens before he converted to Islam, contains plain old anti-Semitism: The Jews seem neither to respect God nor his creation. Their own holy books contain the curse of God brought upon them by their prophets on account of their disobedience to Him and mischief in the earth. We have seen the disrespect for religion displayed by those who consider themselves to be 'God's chosen people.'...There will be no justice until all the land is given back to its rightful owners... Only Islam can bring peace back to the Holy Land .... In the past, IAP has published and disseminated Hamas communiques. One Hamas communique disseminated by lAP urged the "killing of...the bloodsuckers...and killers of prophets." Another condemned the "American enemy" as a "full participant in the conspiracy" to wipe out the Palestinians, specifically blaming the U.S. for participating in the Sabra and Shatilia massacres."

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/gossip/story/81149p-74395c.html
"The article by Jake Tapper claims that Stevens, who changed his name to Yusef Islam in 1977, gave the money to Mouhammad Abdel- Rahman, a son of the notorious blind sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman, who was convicted in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
"We don't think this - we know it," Israeli government spokesman Daniel Seaman tells the magazine. Islam also helped radical cleric Sheik Omar Bakri Muhammad get a lawyer after he was jailed for saying Britain's then-Prime Minister John Major was "a legitimate target" for assassination, the mag reports. His brother, David Gordon, says Islam has distanced himself from radicals and argues "no one ever knows where the money goes" with such charities."

Sure, one never knows...

And lets not forget Yusef Islam's hearty endorsement of the fatwah issued against Salman Rusdie. He obviously deserved to die for writing a novel that some Muslim clerics disliked. Islam is truly a man of joy and peace, no? I can hear it now:

Oh peace train sounding louder/
Glide on the peace train/
Come on now kill Rushdie/
Yes, peace train holy roller/

I am not a "neocon", or even a Republican. I support the right of nations to excercise legitimate self defense. Denying entry to People like Yusef Islam is a perfectly reasonable act given the statements by Hamas leaders and Islam himself.

http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/archive/scoop/stories/61/a9/200210301020.f626e86d.html

I would be all in support of someone gassing Sandy Weill and Jack "vermin" Grubman. I am tired of the dirty vermin in the financial industry running this country.

I guess if Yusuf Islam is the terrorist threat that this regime things he is, then next on the list will be Paul McCartney, David Bowie and Peter Gabriel? They all "collaborated" with him on the 2003 release of "Peace Train."

I would imagine that he had some splaining to do to these guys about the "Rushdie Affair" and alledged support of Hamas.

I dunno about anyone else out there, but I'm more inclined to trust in the judgement of the likes of Peter Gabriel (who has promoted World Music and Peace through WOMAD for the past 20 years) than Tom Ridge or Israeli Military Intelligence (which we all know is an oxymoron).

In conclusion TJK, I respect your opinion, you make some good points, I can see why you have your position.

R

Problem:
http://www.votescam.com

Solution: http://www.uline.com/Browse_Listing_5611.asp

You should support Bush.

Down with all terrorists !

Bush is getting his butt kicked in the polls, but they use "likely voters" when polling. That disqualifies the young, blacks, poor, etc. The idea is to demoralize the democrats.

sounds to me like during the 70's, 80's and 90's, Yosuf was framed by Israel in supporting islamic groups. Now before this asset can be spoiled, they trot him off an airline and label him a terrorist. Is Hamas a Mossad op? many think so. Is Omar a double agent? same thing. Is the guy behind the '93 WTC bombing tied to the world's version of Emmanual Goldstein, aka Osama Bin Laden? yeah, i think that's a pretty good analogy (wish i could lay ownership)

the People of Zion are crafty and resourceful. They are known to excel and achieve at all they do. This goes for things good and bad.

Hey Ringo.

I guess the bottom line with all of this is that there are so many conflicting threads and stories, so many twists and turns - that us prols can never work out the truth, and we're not going to be offered it that's fer sure.

I do believe the NWO uses the Hegelian Dialectic, it just makes the most sense. In order to come close to understanding The Big Game you have to play mental chess games with the information. Following the money and who benefits from specific outcomes is always a sure way to rhetro-fit an agenda into a set of circumstances.

Overall I think you are definitely on the right track, in general there is far more to be paranoid about than most folks believe or could even comprehend!

Cheers Rich

TJK: If you support countries' rights to self-defence, then you must be standing behind all of the Iraqis who are fighting against the occupation forces.

To believe otherwise, you'd have to tell me that the invasion was in self-defence, and I'd love to see your proof for that.

Rico.

IF YOU ARE A PATRIOTIC CITIZEN AND SUPPORT AMERICA, PLEASE PASS THIS LINK TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE

http://www.freedomunderground.org/memoryhole/pentagon.php#Main

The plain truth of the matter is "W" is a criminal if judged by our court upheld criminal law.Kerry was a prosecutor and that is why he is so confident in his position.but of course give someone(W) the "power and authority" to break the law and they will do it everytime!?especially ex-addict rich party boys who find "jesus".It's called the "messiah" complex!being from texas just adds fuel ta da fire!

The photo above of Mr. Stevens is reveals who is misrepresenting the truth. Here is a more recent photo:

http://backspin.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/catstevens.jpg

My bet is : watch closely employment figures this month...
I expect huge panic.

If not october, then november ... And at the latest february.

Meltdown is not near anymore. It is now.