Over the past couple days, I searched for ways to increase my site traffic so that I can get more ppl to click on my ads. One advice that I run into over and over is the simple fact of writing quality blogs that have something worth interesting. Fair enough, and so I turn to an interesting man to share some of his life's story, Cat Stevens.
Cat Steven's is a musician of my pop's era. He told me about how Cat Stevens was the equivalent p.diddy of my day. Lots of older folks didn't like his music as it was considered noise pollution or something.....I remember ppl telling me the same thing as I listened to hiphop.
Cat Stevens was very famous during his time and even has some platinum albums to prove it. I just turned on my lastfm.com and listened to his famous "peace train" song. You'll probably recognize it, it was one of those songs u had to grow up listening to in the car coming home from baseball games, whether you liked it or not. Even though successful, he put his music career aside and decided to devote himself toward the Islamic religion and humanitarian work. He eventually changed his name to Yusuf Islam.
Now here's where things start becoming interesting:
Cat Stevens or Yusuf Islam is not allowed into America!
Around the Sept 11th attacks, TSA (Transportaiton Security Administration) was using a computerized flagging system that had certain names on a no-fly list. Oddly enough...yea right.... the name "Yusuf Islam" was flagged. On his way from London to Washington to meet Dolly Parton of all ppl in 2004, Yusuf Islam's airplane is redirected to Maine and he is detained by the FBI. Custom officials denied entry approval and he was forced to leave.
Besides his awards for all the music he's invented, here's a couple "other" awards:
1. Man of Peace Award - 2004
2. Mediterranean Prize for Peace - 2007
I'm not going to put to much personal insight into this, but should such a man be banned from a country trying to persuade peace? Of course this could have been a mistake, but when officials are interrogating him and realize that he is Yusuf Islam - the man who has been honored for his huge effort in humanitarian work and peace making - shouldn't they say "oops, sorry to disturb you. you may pass?"
Apparently some don't think so. Ok, my two peas for the day
Maybe I'm lame, but a lot of this info came from wiki and BBC.
Ronan Keating ft. Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens)-Father And Son
Cat Steven's is a musician of my pop's era. He told me about how Cat Stevens was the equivalent p.diddy of my day. Lots of older folks didn't like his music as it was considered noise pollution or something.....I remember ppl telling me the same thing as I listened to hiphop.
Cat Stevens was very famous during his time and even has some platinum albums to prove it. I just turned on my lastfm.com and listened to his famous "peace train" song. You'll probably recognize it, it was one of those songs u had to grow up listening to in the car coming home from baseball games, whether you liked it or not. Even though successful, he put his music career aside and decided to devote himself toward the Islamic religion and humanitarian work. He eventually changed his name to Yusuf Islam.
Now here's where things start becoming interesting:
Cat Stevens or Yusuf Islam is not allowed into America!
Around the Sept 11th attacks, TSA (Transportaiton Security Administration) was using a computerized flagging system that had certain names on a no-fly list. Oddly enough...yea right.... the name "Yusuf Islam" was flagged. On his way from London to Washington to meet Dolly Parton of all ppl in 2004, Yusuf Islam's airplane is redirected to Maine and he is detained by the FBI. Custom officials denied entry approval and he was forced to leave.
Besides his awards for all the music he's invented, here's a couple "other" awards:
1. Man of Peace Award - 2004
2. Mediterranean Prize for Peace - 2007
I'm not going to put to much personal insight into this, but should such a man be banned from a country trying to persuade peace? Of course this could have been a mistake, but when officials are interrogating him and realize that he is Yusuf Islam - the man who has been honored for his huge effort in humanitarian work and peace making - shouldn't they say "oops, sorry to disturb you. you may pass?"
Apparently some don't think so. Ok, my two peas for the day
Maybe I'm lame, but a lot of this info came from wiki and BBC.
Ronan Keating ft. Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens)-Father And Son
1 comments:
Great post. This bring back memories, when I was living on the streets in Paris 30 years ago, I had a friend with a guitar who played this song over and over again. At the time, it was my favorite tune and hearing it again, brings me a little tear. But this is good, because as Ernest would say, "If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast." And the "Cat" was, and still is, one of my favorites because he inspired a conviction to follow a path of relativism, and to be open to learn and appreciate all cultures for what they are, rather what they can give. It was truly unfortunate that he was diverted from landing in the USA, it is even worse that most Americans have become so myopic to events like this. When will it end?
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