Posted on 09/22/2004 9:54:22 AM PDT by Land_of_Lincoln_John
CAIRO, September 22 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – US authorities have denied entry to British Muslim activist Yusuf Islam, formerly known as pop singer Cat Stevens, a move expected to drew ire of British Muslims, who condemned it as outrageous and racist.
“This is a strategy by Washington targeting Muslim activists in the West, as no reasons were cited for the decision to deny him access to the country – let alone the fact that Islam is a moderate activist,” Kamal El-Helbawy, a London-based political expert, told IslamOnline.net Wednesday, September 22.
A London-to-Washington flight carrying Islam was forced to be diverted to another US airport after US officials identified that the Muslim revert was reportedly on one of their “watch lists”.
United Airlines Flight 919 was diverted 600 miles (1000km), landing in Maine, the BBC News Online said.
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials was quoted by the BBC as saying the access was denied “on national security grounds”. He gave no further details.
Islam is now expected to be put on a flight out of America later on Wednesday.
His top aide Zafr Ashraf said Islam is to make a statement on the circumstances related to the incident.
“We have no information over what has happened so far,” Ashraf told IOL over the phone.
Islam became Muslim in 1977. Following a 17-year hiatus from the music business, he returned in 1995 and has since released three albums of Islam related songs, The Life of the Last Prophet (1995), Prayers of the Last Prophet (1999) and a record for children, A Is for Allah (2000).
He has sold more than 40 million albums, though few of those are from his Yusuf Islam era.
Furious
But Muslim experts in Britain reacted with anger to the news, fearing other Muslim activists in the West could be also targeted.
“Just think of what happed to Tariq Ramadan and Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi,” Al-Helbawy told IOL.
Ramadan was scheduled to take a teaching post at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, last week, but was barred at the last minute when the US State Department revoked his visa.
US authorities have refused to comment in detail on Ramadan's case, but the move has been widely criticized by US academics, who suspect that Ramadan had been barred because of his criticism of US foreign policy.
While Sheikh Qaradawi – a famous moderate Muslim scholar recently ending a trip to London – has been denied access to the US since 1997.
Islam has been an outspoken opponent to the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 20. He went to South Africa to record a new version and clip of his 1972 anti-war song "Peace Train" with local musicians five days before the US-British offensive on the oil-rich Arab country.
Condemnation
“Yusuf Islam has devoted himself teaching and actively promoting Islam worldwide since quitting a successful music career in the late 1970s,” El-Helbawy said.
Islam is the founder of a Muslim school in 1983. “He is the owner of other influential high-profile Muslim institutions in Britain.”
Sources close to the former pop singer said Muslim organizations in London are to issue statements condemning the airport move against him.
Amnesty International has said in a fresh report, released this month, that racial profiling by US law enforcement agencies has grown over the past three years to cover one in nine Americans, mostly targeting Muslims.
Racist? Islam isn't a race, it's a cult.
Islam is to be put on a flight out of America
:)
Islam is to be put on a flight out of America
If only that were true!
Did I understand that the flight was already mid-air when they found out he was on a watch list?? Insanity. good thing it wasnt his 72 virgin flight. We are a step behind with every action we take. Amazing its gonna take another blow to wake people up.
Ooh baby baby its a wild world!
I like hearing this stuff! I only wish we could bar even more of 'em coming into our country. STAY OUT! You are not welcome here. And to the ones that are here... GO BACK. Take your burkas and your prayer rugs and high tail it outta here. Don't let the koran hit ya in the butt...
I don't take kindly to my country men being separated body from head... and if it offends you that you are not welcome, well, take it up with allah. I am one American that is sick and tired of all your crap. And I really don't care about moderates and peace lovin' kinds of muslims... some of my dead country men were peace lovin' and moderates too.
They banned him for fear that he would record horrible music in our country again.
When is the release date for "B Is for Bomb"?
This does not apply to Yusef Islam because he is not a citizen, but it still applies to every citizen of the USA.
Islam is not a religion, it is a cult.
We don't have to explain our reasons to take security measures. We have a right to protect ourselves no matter who disagrees with it.
If you are Muslim today - you are suspect.
Clean up your religion if you want respect.
His discography alone should be reason enough to deny him entry.
Cult? Islam isn't a cult, it's more like an organized crime syndicate. Hey RICO, take a look at this one.
LOL
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