[Romantic Old Bird]

What do you all think about what happened to Cat (sorry, I'll always think of him as that) when the US deported him the other day?

Apparently they feel he 'may have donated money to charities which support terrorist organisations'. (Even if that were true, which I doubt sincerely, we would have to deport half the wealthy Irish Americans who visit our shores for similar reasons!)

However Cat went to the White House in May at their invitation to discuss peace and humanitarian issues.

Personally, I think it is a completely ridiculous move by the gung ho yanks, who seem to want to engender a global paranoia about all Muslims in the world.

Islam (the faith, not the singer) is not the problem here, but the increasing alienation of young and impressionable Muslims by the americans is certainly not going to help.

Personally I would like to say to Cat that his peace train is still rolling as far as I'm concerned.

Spot the difference:

Cat Stevens: "I got so much to say, say what you mean, mean what you think and think anything, why not?"

Yusuf Islam: "Salman Rushdie should be killed"

Seriously though, I do agree with your general point, ROB. I used to work with a young Bengali guy called Zak who read the Qoran every day. He was scathing much of the time about Muslim Clerics who interpreted it in a way to give themselves power. Islam is in itself not and never was the problem. However:

Clerics of all religions have at various times usurped power through their position.

This is worse when the Church is an arm of the State.

This is worse still when the State is an arm of the Church.

In the third world, people can see the effects of Western (esp American) Imperialism on their lives. People impoverised, wealthy westerners turning their countries into virtual brothels. Unfortunately their protest takes on a religious rather than political form.

And let's not even get into the Israel/Palestine question.

America has alienated much of the Islamic world, and we have climbed into bed with them. This makes it easier for religious nutters to operate and recruit.

George Bush = Al Qaeda's best recruiting officer.

Oh, and when Saddam Hussein was seen as an ally of the West (pre Kuwait invasion) it was "A few more guns Saddam? Certainly! Kurds? Kill as many of 'em as you like, mate!". Once he had not done the West's bidding, we got the crocodile tears about genocide and what a tyrant he was!

Rant off. Else I'll go on all day!