Yusuf Islam Reflects On His Return

Artist Once Known As Cat Stevens Talks About New Album

(CBS)  This story originally aired on Dec. 3, 2006.

Yusuf Islam, once known as recording artist Cat Stevens, walked away from the music business at the height of his career.

As Stevens, he had written and recorded several hits in the 1970s, including "Moonshadow," "Peace Train" and "The First Cut Is The Deepest," which was also a hit for Rod Stewart and, later, Sheryl Crow. He sold an astonishing 60 million albums.

But after converting to Islam in 1977 and adopting his new name, the singer took a break from recording. This year, he released "An Other Cup," his first original album in nearly three decades.

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Rock Stars In Concert
2006 Rock Hall Of Fame

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"In this time and period it's probably the best thing I can do because lecturing, politics, God, I've got nothing to do with that," he told CBS News Sunday Morning correspondent Mark Phillips. "I want to just get heart-to-heart, make sure people understand some of the real subtle beauties of what I've discovered."

He said he personally developed and evolved throughout his career.

"A lot of people would have loved me to keep singing," Islam said. "You come to a point where you have sung, more or less ... your whole repertoire and you want to get down to the job of living. You know, up until that point, I hadn't had a life. I'd been searching, been on the road."

Islam was born Steven Dmitri Georgiu, in London in 1948, to a Greek father and Swiss mother. His parents ran a restaurant and by age 12 Steven had picked up the guitar and was writing songs in their upstairs apartment.

An early girlfriend told him he had eyes like a cat. He liked the way that sounded and at age 18, Cat Stevens released his first album. He was a teen sensation, touring Europe, when an almost fatal case of tuberculosis made him question what he and his music were all about.

"I caught tuberculosis and suddenly I've got this medieval disease, you know — middle of modern society, and I'm sort of in hospital. And all of the spotlights are switched off. And now I say: 'Well, hey, where is the light?' And that's what got me going, if you like, looking for a different kind of light."

That near-death experience sparked a creative explosion. While recuperating he wrote more than 40 songs, including many from the albums that would guarantee his place in music history. He was destined for stardom, or so it seemed. But in 1975 while swimming off the coast of Malibu, Calif., another brush with death revealed his true destiny.

[amjm-amm]

Sillywilly, as a muslim I condemn every terrorism, terrorist organization. Even countries governments (organization) who oppress other countries or their own countries with Economic Hit Men (www.johnperkins.org), corporatocracy, manipulation, bribes, misinformations, natural resource cruel exploration, and so on (www.michaelmoore.com). All tricks availble. You name it.

Can you imagine fighting tanks with mererly stones? Palestine people do it everyday. Muslim suffers everywhere. They torture & kill unborns, babies, elders, rape women in Bosnia. People seemed to forget muslim had taught Europe tremendous things that made Ranaissance available. Still, slanders-imperialism-capitalism have been around since ages.

Don't we have to fight back? For our children, parents, brothers-sisters, families? Perhaps a pity, some decided to fight-back using any possible way, un-gentle ways (in Islam, war, if must, must be done civilizedly, honestly).

Don't alway belive what they told u. Nothing is completely black or white. Find real answers. U r obliged 2 do that by God. A pop-clue: watch "Syriana" movie.

[amjm-amm]

Sillywilly, as a muslim I condemn every terrorism, terrorist organization. Even countries governments (organization) who oppress other countries or their own countries with Economic Hit Men (www.johnperkins.org), corporatocracy, manipulation, bribes, misinformations, natural resource cruel exploration, and so on (www.michaelmoore.com). All tricks availble. You name it.

Can you imagine fighting tanks with mererly stones? Palestine people do it everyday. Muslim suffers everywhere. They torture & kill unborns, babies, elders, rape women in Bosnia. People seemed to forget muslim had taught Europe tremendous things that made Ranaissance available. Still, slanders-imperialism-capitalism have been around since ages.

Don't we have to fight back? For our children, parents, brothers-sisters, families? Perhaps a pity, some decided to fight-back using any possible way, un-gentle ways (in Islam, war, if must, must be done civilizedly, honestly).

Don't alway belive what they told u. Nothing is completely black or white. Find real answers. U r obliged 2 do that by God. A pop-clue: watch "Syriana" movie.

[amjm-amm]

Yesleoyes, Muhammad, peace be upon him, made a speech toward the infidel Thaif people. They threw him stones, made him bleed, scarcely. Then, angel Gabriel came to him sent by God, asked his permission to throw those people back, demolish them, with a hill-mountain nearby. Muhammad, PBUH, denied this offering, "No, let them be. They simply do not know what they are doing.", and he prayed for the people. Years later, they all converted to Islam, willingly. (From the Hadits of Muhammad)

Please read it: Al Qur'an 002.256
SHAKIR's translation: "There is no compulsion in religion; truly the right way has become clearly distinct from error; therefore, whoever disbelieves in the Shaitan/Satan and believes in Allah he indeed has laid hold on the firmest handle, which shall not break off, and Allah is Hearing, Knowing." Al Qur'an 002.136
(PICKTHAL's translation): "Say (O Muslims): We believe in Allah and that which is revealed unto us and that which was revealed unto Abraham, and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the tribes, and that which Moses and Jesus received, and that which the prophets received from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and unto God we have surrendered." -

Yusuf Islam, Khumeini, and you, Sir/Mrs/Miss, are just human. And even best human CAN make mistakes.

[yesleoyes]

Philips is either a Cat Stevens apologist or a lightweight.

If you want the truth about Cat's feelings on the Rushdie fatwa, see the clips from 1989. His words are unequivocal. See Rushdie%u2019s rebuttal to Cat%u2019s later equivocations. Links are in Wikipedia.

Hear this: I WANT TO BELIEVE CAT DOES NOT BELIEVE WHAT HE SAID. I WANT TO BE ABLE TO FORGIVE HIM. But, whenever he%u2019s asked (where were you, Phillips?) to be honest, Cat dances around the issue, whines about this being all anyone wants to know, etc... YES, IT%u2019S ALL WE WANT TO KNOW, AND WILL BE SO UNTIL YOU ARE HONEST!

I%u2019ve no issue with Islam. I%u2019ve contempt for an artist who agrees with those who say an artist should be killed for expressing himself.

There are days when his music gets in my head. I'm not embarrassed by it; I%u2019m sad I can%u2019t enjoy it. I bought the albums and sheet music, played and sang the songs. I%u2019ve turned my back on them, hurting myself by doing so.

I wish he could find somewhere in the Koran a verse that tells him that god and his deceased buddies don't need PEOPLE to defend them. I wish he%u2019d find a verse that says to forgive. I wish he%u2019d find a verse that says be honest. I wish he%u2019d find IN HIS OWN SELF a verse that says "apologize for what you have done, and ask Rushdie's forgiveness."

As an aside, I think Rushdie could take him. Cat probably thinks so as well, since he hasn't had the courage to take Rushdie on in a fair fight.

[rushlimpdrug]

Islam is offshore in Malibu?
maybe someone should tell homeyland sekurity.

[ringading3]

Poor Cat you will have to live with your decision, you are finished! Go live in Saudia Arabia. Not enough freedom there? Too bad, so sad!

[salty1954]

Buddhism does not have a hit list I am aware of.

[magoo2u1]

"Islam is Islam its not what Americans make it to be and it never will be. Dump your pointless anti-islamism"

We'll do that when Islam condemns pointless suicide bombings and flying planes into buildings, ok?

Islam appears to be some kind of murder/suicide cult. Explain it to me if I am mistaken. I stopped attending church when I woke up one day and realized that if I ever forgot who to hate, all I had to do was go to my local Baptist church on Sunday morning and they could remind me. They run through the list every week: ***, liberals,Muslims, mentally ill people , famous people, homeless people, people with PHDs, atheists, catholics,Jews (but not Israel, need it to exist so Jesus will return),Budhists, Hundus, black people, indians (domestic savage variety) witches, voodo priests, (they actually believe in the witch / voodoo thing) and on and on and on ...............
Religion is about hate. It talks love for it's congregation, but everyone on the other side of the church door on Sunday morn is the enemy that deserves death. Name a church that has no one it wants to kill. Dare you.

[wattermelann]

I have been told Islam is a peaceful religion. I have not studied the Koran as a student or scholar. I am confused about Islam because of the Taliban and al Queda and the all the countless stories about Islamic groups around. I also do not agreed with the way Islam treats women. I always here the Koran quoted reasons about the treatment of women, but I never hear women treated humanly or fairly by Islamic followers.Perhaps "it is God's will" that I am confused.

[bellal-2009]

All the following lyrics are from Cat Stevens, once heard hard to forget.

[bellal-2009]

Now I've been happy lately, thinking about the good things to come
And I believe it could be, something good has begun

Oh I've been smiling lately, dreaming about the world as one
And I believe it could be, some day it's going to come

Cause out on the edge of darkness, there rides a peace train
Oh peace train take this country, come take me home again

[bellal-2009]

Oh baby baby it's a wild world,
it's hard to get by just upon a smile
Oh baby baby it's a wild world,
and I'll always remember you like a child, girl.

[bellal-2009]

Well I left my happy home
to see what I could find out
I left my folk and friends
with the aim to clear my mind out

Well I hit the rowdy road
and many kinds I met there
and many stories told me on the way to get there

So on and on I go, the seconds tick the time out
So much left to know, and I'm on the road to find out

[bellal-2009]

Father
It's not time to make a change,
Just relax, take it easy.
You're still young, that's your fault,
There's so much you have to know.
Find a girl, settle down,
If you want you can marry.
Look at me, I am old, but I'm happy.

[bellal-2009]

Where Do The Children Play
Cat Stevens

Well I think it's fine, building jumbo planes.
Or taking a ride on a cosmic train.
Switch on summer from a slot machine.
Get what you want to if you want, 'cause you can get anything.

I know we've come a long way,
We're changing day to day,
But tell me, where do the children play?

[bellal-2009]

Longer boats are coming to win us, they're coming to win us, they're coming to win us. Longer boats are coming to win us.
Hold on to the shore,
They'll be taking the key from the door.

[bellal-2009]

I can't get Cat Stevens' songs out of my head, it's been two days now.

[kozanne]

"So stop stealing others' land as your ancestors did stealing 4 continients out of seven and you still need more land for which you coninue war with various pretext."

Oh, you're just mad because you didn't get to steal them first.

[kozanne]

"Islam is Islam its not what Americans make it to be and it never will be. Dump your pointless anti-islamism"

We'll do that when Islam condemns pointless suicide bombings and flying planes into buildings, ok?

[mos4622]

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