It was a different version from what I saw years back...I didn't watch all of it. He started it off with some sort of Hynm in another language or s/thing (which wasn't great) & he had 2 or 3 other acoustic guitar guys (sitting in chairs) strumming,not sure why,its a pretty simple song for 1 person to play.
Like this, you mean?! ; -)
As far as I can remember, he always performed with another guitarist, as least. Alun Davies, I think.
Is this the version you saw? It's from Island Records' 50th anniversary concert in 2009 at Shepherds Bush Empire in London, which I was at.
As a singer gets older, it's not unusual to use additional instruments or backing vocalists to make up for their voice maybe not being so strong. I can't see anything wrong with this version.
As for the new lyrics being a "hymn" - they are in a language I don't recognise but it's more likely to be Greek than Arabic.
Maybe he's saying "Kill all infidels" or something.....
[Edited on 12/8/2014 by Shavian]
which was,from what I recall, kind of wierd to everyone at the time
Except to him...
Maybe he's saying "Kill all infidels" or something.
I'm sure that's wott he's saying! 😉 😛
If that source bothers you there are dozens of others.
YouTube of him, in his own words. supporting jihad against Rushdie for writing a novel.
Peace train, my ass.
But if you are ok with that...
Nonsense. he was just quoting the koran. he NEVER advocated violence against anyone. but believe what you want.
That is not exactly so.
Robertson: You think that this man deserves to die?
Islam: Who, Salman Rushdie?
Robertson: Yes.
Islam: Yes, yes.
Robertson: And do you have a duty to be his executioner?
Islam: Uh, no, not necessarily, unless we were in an Islamic state and I was ordered by a judge or by the authority to carry out such an act – perhaps, yes.
Robertson: Would you give him shelter?
Islam: Yes, I’d try to phone the Ayatollah Khomeini and tell him exactly where this man is.
Robertson: Would you go to a demonstration where you knew that an effigy was going to be burned?
Islam: I would have hoped that it’d be the real thing; but actually, no, if it were just an effigy I don’t think I’d be that moved to go there.
Thank you for quoting this. The above is just another example of how any legitimate criticism or even factual statement on what a Muslim has said is just dismissed as Islamophobia. And yes he was certainly quoting the Koran as he understood it.
If that source bothers you there are dozens of others.
YouTube of him, in his own words. supporting jihad against Rushdie for writing a novel.
Peace train, my ass.
But if you are ok with that...
I realize there are other sources. I wanted to point out that the source you directed people to promotes more hate and terror than ever imagined by Yusuf Islam. He may have stated terroristic comments regarding Salman Rushdie but directing people to a website with the content of that site is wrong.
No one is more anti-terrorist than I am; but I would venture that most of us would have advocated the death of LBJ in 1968. Think the question (which we can't know the answer to) was were these the rantings of an angry young man or serious calls for terror. One I get; one rot in hell
First he was not such a young man at the time. However I will say that he was a new convert at the time and probably more fervent and radical than he later became. Nobody who supports the call of the Ayatollah Khomeini to murder a man for insulting Mohammed belongs in the Western World. There is no place for it. This was not a one off and it is not the equivalent of saying "Man I wish LBJ would croak." Not by a long shot. Rushdie has been in hiding for decades because of this "fatwa." Because as we all know, those words are taken very seriously not necessarily by millions but certainly by many thousands.
I would be willing to forgive Yusef Islam were he to come out publicly and state that he is a Muslim who completely disagrees with the idea that words, even offensive ones, should be punishable by death (or punishable at all). I would forgive him for his support for Hamas if he publicly stated something like "At the time I donated to Hamas I was naive and thought this was a legitamte organization which provided aid to my fellow Muslims. I now know it is a genocidal terrorist group which calls for the death of all Jews and I therore totally repudiate and regret any support I gave them."
He has never done anything resembling this and there was a time when Westerners, liberals and conservatives alike railed against someone who would call for the death of an author because they didn't like what he wrote. No more. Now it's all forgiveness all the time.
Well I kind of don't under Farber's article here. The media did not interpret what he said. I put the quotes and the you tube of it up here in this thread. He said what he said and it does not have to be interpreted, it is in plain English and was on the BBC.
It was a different version from what I saw years back...I didn't watch all of it. He started it off with some sort of Hynm in another language or s/thing (which wasn't great) & he had 2 or 3 other acoustic guitar guys (sitting in chairs) strumming,not sure why,its a pretty simple song for 1 person to play.
Like this, you mean?! ; -)
As far as I can remember, he always performed with another guitarist, as least. Alun Davies, I think.
Is this the version you saw? It's from Island Records' 50th anniversary concert in 2009 at Shepherds Bush Empire in London, which I was at.
As a singer gets older, it's not unusual to use additional instruments or backing vocalists to make up for their voice maybe not being so strong. I can't see anything wrong with this version.
As for the new lyrics being a "hymn" - they are in a language I don't recognise but it's more likely to be Greek than Arabic.
Maybe he's saying "Kill all infidels" or something.....
Right before he sings he says the language is Zulu.
I found an interesting page on his website where he poses and answers numerous questions ("dispelling rumours and myths"). http://www.yusufislam.com/chinese-whiskers/
Question: Didn't he say, "Kill Rushdie!"?
Answer:
I never called for the death of Salman Rushdie; nor backed the Fatwa issued by the Ayatollah Khomeini – and still don’t. The book itself destroyed the harmony between peoples and created an unnecessary international crisis.
When asked about my opinion regarding blasphemy, I could not tell a lie and confirmed that – like both the Torah and the Gospel – the Qur’an considers it, without repentance, as a capital offense. The Bible is full of similar harsh laws if you’re looking for them.[1] However, the application of such Biblical and Qur’anic injunctions is not to be outside of due process of law, in a place or land where such law is accepted and applied by the society as a whole.
The accusation that I supported the Fatwa, therefore, is wholly false and misleading. It was due to my naivety in trying to answer a loaded question posed by a journalist, after a harmless biographical lecture I gave to students in Kingston University in 1989, which unleashed the infamous headline above.
To indicate my actual stance about this matter before this front-page controversy erupted, it’s useful to quote a letter of complaint I sent to Viking, a subsidiary of Penguin Books, the publishers, on 8th October, 1989. This was after I had been sent a preview of the text of Satanic Verses:
"I wish to express my deepest outrage at the insensitivity of Penguin Books in Publishing Salman Rushdie’s book, Satanic Verses, This book is clearly blasphemous in nature and so deeply offensive to the Muslim Community I urge you to give the contents of this letter your most urgent attention and take a responsible decision."
As can be seen from the above, my personal response before the heat-seeking media got involved was significantly different from the fables and myths which have been circulated.
Sad that no matter how many times I’ve repeatedly tried to explain my true position, journalists inevitably bring up this subject again and again; as if it was the only memorable thing I was reported to have done in my sixty-odd years living on this planet (yawn).
[1] In Exodus 20:7 the Third Commandment openly states, “You shall not take the name of The Lord in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless.”
It also says in Leviticus 24:16, “And he who blasphemes the name of the Lord, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregations shall surely stone him.”
Again, quoting Matthew, 12: 31-32, Jesus is reported to have said, “Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit, shall not be forgiven.”
In addition regarding other crimes it says in Leviticus 20: 14,“And if a man take a wife and her mother he shall be burnt with fire“.
Also in Leviticus 20: 15, “if a man lies with a beast, he shall surely be put to death,” and in Exodus 21:17, “Anyone who curses his father and mother must be put to death.”
Question: Yusuf Islam Wants to See Salman Rushdie Burnt, Right?
Answer:
Because of imaginary scenarios set by courthouse TV interviewers, in 1989 I was drawn into making stupid and offensive jokes about Rushdie on a program called, ‘Hypotheticals’; however they were meant to lighten the moment and raise a smile – as good ol’ British sense of humor occasionally is known to do unfortunately for me it didn’t.
In 1989, during the heat and height of the Satanic Verses controversy, I was silly enough to accept appearing on a program called ‘Hypotheticals’ which posed imaginary scenarios by a well-versed (what if?) barrister, Geoffrey Robertson QC. I foolishly made light of certain provocative questions. When asked what I’d do if Salman Rushdie entered a restaurant in which I was eating, I said, I would probably call up Ayatollah Khomeini, and, rather than go to a demonstration to burn an effigy of the author, I jokingly said I would have preferred that it’d be the real thing.
Criticize me for my bad taste, in hindsight, I agree. But these comments were part of a well-known British national trait; a touch of dry humor on my part. Just watch British comedy programs like “Have I Got News For You” or Extras, they are full of occasionally grotesque and sardonic jokes if you want them! On one particular broadcast of Have I got News Ian Hislop, the editor of British satirical magazine Private Eye, personally called me a ‘Shia’ite’ (doesn’t take too long to work out with a twist of an English accent what he meant by that).
Certainly I regret giving those sorts of responses now. However, it must be noted that the final edit of the program was made to look extremely serious; hardly any laughs were left in and much common sense was savagely cut out. Most of the Muslim participants in the program wrote in and complained about the narrow and selective use of their comments, surreptitiously selected out of the 3-hour long recording of the debate. But the edit was not in our hands. Balanced arguments were cut out and the most sensational quotes, preserved.
Providentially, they kept in one important response to a final question posed directly to me by Geoffrey Robertson QC. At the end of the debate he asked me to imagine if Salman Rushdie was taken to court in Britain and the Jury found him not guilty of any crime – Blasphemy or otherwise – and dismissed the case, what I would do. I clearly stated that I would have to accept the decision and fully abide by the law! And that was no joke.
I know this may not put an end to certain questions and doubts in some people’s minds about the subject, but my hope is that it will provide a clearer insight for those who are unbiased now to be able to see the level of distortion which takes place in the reporting of my life and activities – and God Guides to paths of Peace whom He chooses.
Geez,I just thought he kinda sucked,to me,thats all.I happened to watch a current concert of Black Sabbath on the same channel minutes before and thought they were awesome! I was very impressed by Iommi's playing & Ozzys vocals & the audience. I was excited when I saw Cat's video listed on there too before I watched it but was bored to tears when I saw it,sorry. It gets back to my earlier post before about how I feel some people should "Hang it Up" before its too late (in my humble opinion) He really did retire himself years before,(I thought it was too early) & I've heard some musicians speak about how they have to excercise their fingers to keep their art alive over the years & really work at it to be any good as they age. Really sorry if my dislike of his recent footage offended some but I'm not going to like someone just cause someone says I should. I happen to feel that way about lots of acts & I've seen many. I'm entitled to my opinion too I think.
Really sorry if my dislike of his recent footage offended some but I'm not going to like someone just cause someone says I should. I happen to feel that way about lots of acts & I've seen many. I'm entitled to my opinion too I think.
As no-one other than me has commented on your post, I can only assume that your comments are directed at me.
I don't see how you can think that I was offended by your opinion, or that you are in some way not entitled to an opinion. Cat Stevens/ Yusuf Islam is not exactly my cup of tea so I feel no need to defend him musically.
In a spirit at odds with much of this thread, I can assure you that you are fully entitled to your opinion as far as I am concerned.
Oh sorry,Shavian,I had thought you said you were at 'this' actual rare concert Yourself and took u as a dedicated fan or had some connection & I also mistook YOUR "kill all infidels" comment as strongly Sarcastic & inflamatory !!
Personally,I just care about the Music !
[Edited on 12/8/2014 by bettyhynes]
I was at the concert because my girlfriend wanted to go.
The support was Baaba Maal who was joined for an unannounced appearance by U2.
And damn right my "Kill all infidels" comment was sarcastic!!!
[He is a terrorist who supports killing a novelist over a work of fiction.
https://themuslimissue.wordpress.com/2012/08/21/usa-converted-muslims-singe r-cat-stevens-yusuf-islam-endorses-the-burning-and-death-of-writer-salman-r ushdie/
Help me out. How does a post such as this "add" to the discussion? Yes, everyone is entitled to an opinion, but while I think Ted nugent is the anti Christ, I don't espouse my view when he's discussed in the forum as it seems counterproductive and rude? To me, a remark like this seems ignorant at best, racist at worst? There's a better way to voice your displeasure with a performer but the best is to avoid them, isn't it? Just curious?
Thank you for your opinion, which I'm sure will help the discussion.
I did take back the terrorist comment, he just endorses terrorism.
As for racist, since he and I have nearly the same DNA that's out. If being against fundamentalist religious censorship and encouraging the killing of someone over a work of fiction is ignorant I'm proud to be ig'nant!
All religious fundamentalism is an anathema to freedom.
I heard a few minutes of Jack Van Impe railing against Islam with the same rigid vitriol. Just as distasteful. Middle Ages mythology has no place in the modern world. Different from personal spiritualism but when human rights and freedom are attacked by outdated fundamentalist BS any thinking person should be wary.
I would welcome Cat making a public statement clarifying his views on free speech and separation of church and state. When he isn't even asked the question on CBS we'll never know. I'll stand with Thomas Jefferson.
I would also like to hear his honest comments on the rights of women. I bet that would sell some tix.
Edit: how can a work of fiction be blasphemous? It is make believe. Oh, wait...
[Edited on 12/9/2014 by aiq]
I've noticed a couple of people using the word "racist" in this thread. Islam is a religion, not a race. The Muslim religion is made up of people from many different races.
Religion and race are not the same thing.
