AAR vs. Cat Stevens. You decide!

[LiberalVoice]

Well Al Fanken starts in about 8 minutes. But, I'm currently sitting here listening to Cat Stevens(Yusuf Islam)'s - The Wind. I have like 30 more of his songs to choose from so i'm curious.

Should I listen to AAR when it comes on or Cat Stevens?

[fudge stripe cookays]

1. AAR.

Cat Stevens supports the death threats against Salman Rushdie and said so years ago.

His outrageous statements to that effect were the reason 10,000 Maniacs went back and removed "Peace Train" from the album "In My Tribe" several years after its release.

FSC

[Goldmund]

2. But that's not the same guy.

Yusuf Islam even tried to get Cat Stevens records off the shelves a few years back. The dude went crazy, which is what usually happens to people (though it's a classic chicken/egg problem) when they become "born again" fanatics of an organized religion.

[Lerkfish]

5. FWIW, not to defend Cat Stevens, but I seem to recall

an interview with him a while AFTER that flap, and either he'd changed his tune, or he was misquoted or misunderstood in the first instance (I cannot determine which myself)
His claim was that the original question was loaded in a certain way, and he was cornered to respond as he did.
I'm hazy on details, so don't go by me.
Did anyone else see the retracting/clarifying interview? its been several years. I think it might even have been 60 minuts.

ok, I just did a google search and found this:

http://www.superseventies.com/sscatstevens.html

which seems to fit my recollection, that he CLAIMS to have been quoted out of context...

"The Koran makes it clear, if someone defames the Prophet, then he must die. The backlash over reports that I'd supposedly endorsed the death sentence that Islamic fundamentalists had levied against Salmon Rushdie for the alleged blasphemy of The Satanic Verses hurt quite a lot because that whole episode was taken out of context. But it was merely a reiteration of scriptural principle, not a literal call to action. And there are elements within the press who really have no loyalty to anybody except a good headline. If you were to ask somebody, 'What does the Bible say about adultery?' they would have to quote chapter and verse -- that's the honest thing to do. And you'd find bits in the Bible that say you should stone the person. Now, that means the President of the United States is eligible for stoning. That doesn't mean anybody's gonna do that!"

[Myrina]

3. Cat

AAR is going to drain your positive energy by discussing all the things that we here at DU are screaming about, that have to play themselves out in their own time/place.

Give yourself a break from the madness and chill for a bit with Cat.

Save your energy for whatever election/Kerry volunteer efforts you're involved in.

[LiberalVoice]

4. Spending everyday I have off...

walking through neighborhoods registering people to vote...:)