Well, as it is, this isn't really a political issue, but I have a feeling it may end up as such, so I saved Salty and Dre some trouble moving it and just started it here. I read recently that Cat Stevens was the cause of a plain being diverted and he has been denied admission to the US. Now, I knew Cat Stevens had changed his name and converted to Islam as I saw him giving a speech at Stanford a few years back, but I had no idea that his converting was so extream that he is now considered a threat the national security. :eek: Anyone know what he has been up to/been associated with in the past few year that would get him banned? Any theories at least?

http://abcnews.go.com/wire/US/ap20040921_2381.html

-Chris

sucks too cause I really liked some of his stuff.

"I'm being chased by a moon shadow..."

Oh baby baby its a wild world,

and its hard to get by

just upon a smile...

Cocaine's a helluva drug...

i can see banning him because of his music but not his religion...oh well

c'mon Salty...that's overused and Rick died...let it die with him...

The reasoning I heard on the radio this morning is that several years ago, he made a "charitable" donation to a group which funds Hamas - the Palestinian extremists who think it helps their cause to go around bombing buses and shopping centers which results in civilian casualties, and revenge attacks by the Israelis.

I have a hard time believing the "artist formerly known as Cat Stevens" is a threat to national security, but if the details of his donation to Hamas are such that our officials don't think its a good idea for him to be here, I say screw him, and screw Hamas.

The reasoning I heard on the radio this morning is that several years ago, he made a "charitable" donation to a group which funds Hamas - the Palestinian extremists who think it helps their cause to go around bombing buses and shopping centers which results in civilian casualties, and revenge attacks by the Israelis.

I have a hard time believing the "artist formerly known as Cat Stevens" is a threat to national security, but if the details of his donation to Hamas are such that our officials don't think its a good idea for him to be here, I say screw him, and screw Hamas.


Thanks for an actual answer to my question, BBB, instead of just more Cat Stevens lyrics. :p

-Chris

My pleasure. More information here:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/09/22/national1236EDT0584.DTL