NationStates Jolt Archive

I'm going to try to post this is a neutral question (as I see done so scarcely here):

In light of Cat Steven's deporting today, what does everyone feel about this?

The story in a nutshell for those of you who didn't see it:
Cat Steven's is a folk pop singer from the early 70s. Recently the man converted to Islam. After going on an overseas tour, he returned to the US today and was met by officials. He was detained for several hours and then deported. Some "terrorist watchgroup" put Cat Stevens on their list. Now, he has been sent from the country and is indefinately blocked from returning.

Everyone's thoughts?







ok, my thoughts:
The man was born American, raised American, and is fifty plus years of American history. Now, because he has converted to Islam (which he converted to a while ago actually), a religion generally assocaited with terrorism nowadays, he has been banned from his home country, without so much as a trial. This reeks of the Salem witchtrials, the Communist hearings under McArthy, and the ever broadening scope of the "Patriot Act". This act makes me ashamed of a country I care a great deal about. And it almost makes me ashamed to be an American. To anyone who is familiar with Cat Steven's music (Peace Train, Cat in the Cradle), he's known for peaceful protest and mellow singing. I do not believe that anyone should be deported from our country (which proports to have religious freedom), for excersizing that right. Let alone the fact that he was a born citizen, let alone that he didn't have a trial. If he can be deported for that (by a group that is so credible that they wont even release their name), then what is next? Speaking your mind against Bush? Anti war protest? This getting dangerous fast people. Vote against Bush. And don't stand idly by while your freedoms are stripped.

wasnt sure you could deport an American citizen.....

Where would you deport him to? Hawaii?

No likely to Syria, Just like Maher Arar. And they'll tourture him, just like Arar. Arar was a Canadian Citizen detained in NYC, just on a stop over and was deported and tourtured for a year in Syria.

Quandal, could you post a link to the story? I would like to read more about it.

Quandal, could you post a link to the story? I would like to read more about it.
Look in the thread I started about the US diverting a plane to debark a terrorist. There's a link in there.

Cat Stevens was born Stephen Demetri Georgiou on July 21, 1947 in London, England.

Cat Stevens also never wrote nor performed "Cats in the Cradle". It was Harry Chapin. Check the other threads for my links.

Also, you might like to read:

Yusuf Islam speaks out against the horrific Beslan school siege and its brutal ending:

"Nothing is more precious to a parent than the love of their offspring, but for the parents of Beslan we can only share the tears and convey our deepest sympathies, though no words or effort could ever bring those children back into the violent world they so tragically left behind. There is no vocabulary fit to describe the gruesome cruelty of this event; watching helplessly as hundreds of children were mercilessly utilized as negotiating tokens in a political game, which they had absolutely nothing to do with, makes us ponder what kind of inhumane mentality the perpetrators had.

The fact that the hostage takers were reportedly Muslim makes it difficult for some to avoid the conclusion that the religion of Islam must be the cause of this demented act, however, perceptions like that are maintained only if the majority of right minded believers stand back and say and do nothing. In reality, the whole masquerade being played out is purely political without any reference to spiritual truth: one thing is for sure, this action had as much connection with Islam as those innocent children had to do with the ferocious battle for Chechnya.

The religious premise of the oft-repeated accusation disappears when you look closer at the facts: how opposed to the teachings of Islam this kind of act is. Even the most unlearned of Muslims know that the Prophet of Islam was always so merciful to children and their mothers. Once when he visited his daughter whose baby was dying, tears flowed from the eyes of the Prophet. Someone said to him, 'What is this, O Messenger of God?' He said. 'This is Mercy which God has embedded in the hearts of whomever He wished of His slaves. And God does not bestow His Mercy except on the merciful among His slaves.'1

Islam eradicated infanticide which was sometimes performed in ignorant societies. The Qur'an specifically warns the murderers about this on the Day of Judgement, '…and when the girl-child who was buried is asked for what sin she was killed…'2

Even if the torment of the oppressor reaches the unbearable, Muslims are commanded to restrain themselves, '…and do not let your hatred of a people incite you to act unjustly. Be just! That is closer to righteousness, and fear God!'3

Crimes against innocent bystanders taken hostage in any circumstance have no foundation whatsoever in the life of Islam and the model example of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. The concept that Islam allows the taking of one person's life in exchange for another person's sin is absolutely warped, the Qur'an in fact put an end to the concept of sins being passed on from generation to generation, father to son, or from one soul to another. God says, '…And every soul earns not [blame] except against itself, and no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another. Then to your Lord is your return and He will inform you concerning that over which you used to differ.'4

Also, 'Whoever takes a life without due justice, it will be as if he has killed the whole of mankind…'5 and, 'Do not take the life which God has made sacred except through (due process of) law.'6

The whole belief system in Islam is based on ultimate responsibility and a final Day of Accounting for every individual soul. People will seek to take shelter behind others on that day but will be left exposed to answer for their own deeds, 'And whoever has done an atom's weight of good shall see it; and whoever has done an atom's weight of evil, shall see it.'7 There is no collective responsibility in Islam; neither in Natural Justice, another reason why both sides in the political games and conflicts we are witnessing are way beyond the borders of God's sacred law.

The pictures are telling us that what's going on has to stop. Kindness is a sign of true faith and humanity, but there is very little I can see out there; that's why I'm at least trying, in God's name, to work in the field of relief and compassion for the victims of war, and avoiding the rhetoric of revenge and perpetuation of ignorance by trying not to take sides with the unjust - be they 'them or us'."

I was a child
Who ran full of laughter
I was a child who lived for today
My eyes full of sunshine
My heart full of smiles
I was a child for a day

Incertonia's thread added that nessecary part where the man was banned from the U.S. before his flight. And in no way was anything said about him being under watch simply for converting to Islam.

If that were true, I would be in some kinda camp by now.

Look in the thread I started about the US diverting a plane to debark a terrorist. There's a link in there.
got it.. thank you :D

I'm going to try to post this is a neutral question (as I see done so scarcely here):

In light of Cat Steven's deporting today, what does everyone feel about this?

The story in a nutshell for those of you who didn't see it:
Cat Steven's is a folk pop singer from the early 70s. Recently the man converted to Islam. After going on an overseas tour, he returned to the US today and was met by officials. He was detained for several hours and then deported. Some "terrorist watchgroup" put Cat Stevens on their list. Now, he has been sent from the country and is indefinately blocked from returning.

Everyone's thoughts?

ok, my thoughts:
The man was born American, raised American, and is fifty plus years of American history. Now, because he has converted to Islam (which he converted to a while ago actually), a religion generally assocaited with terrorism nowadays, he has been banned from his home country, without so much as a trial. This reeks of the Salem witchtrials, the Communist hearings under McArthy, and the ever broadening scope of the "Patriot Act". This act makes me ashamed of a country I care a great deal about. And it almost makes me ashamed to be an American. To anyone who is familiar with Cat Steven's music (Peace Train, Cat in the Cradle), he's known for peaceful protest and mellow singing. I do not believe that anyone should be deported from our country (which proports to have religious freedom), for excersizing that right. Let alone the fact that he was a born citizen, let alone that he didn't have a trial. If he can be deported for that (by a group that is so credible that they wont even release their name), then what is next? Speaking your mind against Bush? Anti war protest? This getting dangerous fast people. Vote against Bush. And don't stand idly by while your freedoms are stripped.
I find it extremely difficult to imagine that Cat Stevens is being treated as a criminal by the US. Consider his personal web site:

http://catstevens.com/

BTW, Stevens didn't record Cat in the Cradle but he recorded the following and many others:

1. Wild World
2. Oh Very Young
3. Can't Keep It In
4. Hard Headed Woman
5. Moonshadow
6. Two Fine People
7. Peace Train
8. Ready
9. Father and Son
10. Sitting
11. Morning Has Broken
12. Another Saturday Night

Certainly your radical type of guy huh?

Shame on the US. :(

Guys, I don't see how a man's singing can determine whether or not he is a threat to the U.S.


Look at Michael Jackson, he's a ****ing weirdo! Did people think that about him when he was a hit singer? No! MJ could've been dreaming about nights in beds with boys as he sung in a concert and people wouldn't exactly know that.

As of 2002 he was a British citizen living in London. I suspect he was placed on the terrrorist list for advocating the death of Salman Rushdie (?sp) some years ago, a kinda not nice thing to do, although there are some other dubious associations he has - he is/was a financial backer of Hamas for instance.

Nope, not a US citizen. Was too incredulous to check that.....kinda hurts my case. Not sure....thought he performed Cat in the Cradle....though I'm probably wrong on that too. My apologies on both of those.

This reminds me why I never post here. The sheer volumn of posts is incredible. And hard for me to keep up with. This will be one page 18 by 2 o clock my time lol.

More disturbing than the actual deportion (in my mind) is the way the St. Louis media got behind the deportation like he deserved it. I find it sad. He spoke his mind. We've actually done bad things (America) and to deport someone for saying bad things (if the earlier post is correct) or sup[porting bad things, is more than a lil bit hypocritical.