posted on September 22, 2004 08:14:21 AM new
WASHINGTON (AP) A plane bound for Washington from London was diverted to Maine on Tuesday after passenger Yusuf Islam formerly known as pop singer Cat Stevens showed up on a U.S. watch list, a federal official said.
United Airlines Flight 919 had already taken off from London en route to Dulles International Airport when the match was made between the passenger and the watch list, said Nico Melendez, a spokesman for the Transportation Security Administration.
The plane was met by federal agents at Maine's Bangor International Airport around 3 p.m., Melendez said.
Federal officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, identified the individual as Islam.
One official said Islam, 56, was identified by the Advanced Passenger Information System, which requires airlines to send passenger information to U.S. Customs and Border Protection's National Targeting Center. TSA was then contacted and requested that the plane land at the nearest airport, the official said.
"He was interviewed and denied admission to the United States on national security grounds," said Homeland Security spokesman Dennis Murphy. He said the man would be put on the first available flight out of the country Wednesday.
Islam, who was born Stephen Georgiou, took Cat Stevens as a stage name and had a string of hits in the 1960s and '70s, including "Wild World" and "Morning Has Broken." Last year he released two songs, including a re-recording of his '70s hit "Peace Train," to express his opposition to the U.S.-led war in Iraq.
He abandoned his music career in the late 1970s and changed his name after being persuaded by orthodox Muslim teachers that his lifestyle was forbidden by Islamic law. He later became a teacher and an advocate for his religion, founding a Muslim school in London in 1983.
Islam recently condemned the school seizure by militants in Beslan, Russia, earlier this month that left more than 300 dead, nearly half of them children.
In a statement on his Web site, he wrote, "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."
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If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
posted on September 22, 2004 10:25:15 AM new
These issues are hard to decide on, imo. We don't know what their reasons for doing this were.
But this was on Scotsman.com - when speaking to him being sent back...
"In July 2000, Stevens was denied entry to Israel amid reports that he had donated tens of thousands of dollars to the Islamic terrorist group, Hamas.
In a statement released by his record label Universal Music at the time, he said: I want to make sure that people are aware that I've never ever knowingly supported any terrorist groups" past, present or future.
posted on September 22, 2004 09:44:41 PM new
Amazing that you guys scream bloody murder about communists and such and then stand staunchly behind such a ridiculous action. especially you Twelve. Hell - couldn't your logic be used against any individual attempting to enter, or re-enter the country? Should we just declare a police state, shut everything down and huddle here in fear of the world?
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If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
posted on September 23, 2004 05:42:14 AM new
The guy donated funds to Hamas and we should welcome him? No
This is not a police state, but we pay for the security of country, I believe in letting them do their jobs... one has been singer turned muslim is no great loss to this country.
As the saying goes, you sleep with dogs and you will get fleas... he has been sleeping with dogs... we don't need the fleas.
posted on September 23, 2004 05:53:57 PM new
Anybody who has made music as bad as Cat Stevens should be deported from the country and banned from returning.
posted on September 23, 2004 06:18:02 PM new
According to the story *I* heard (Sean Hannity interviewing Tom Ridge), there were TWELVE other people on the terrorist watch list ON THE SAME AIRPLANE. But since he's famous, he is the only one anyone is talking about.
Sure looks suspicious to me!
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We do not stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing -- Anonymous
