Remember Cat Stevens?

[Miulang]

For those of you who are children of the 1960s, Cat Stevens was a musical icon. Then he embraced Islam, changed his name to Yusef Islam, dropped out of the music scene and became a peace activist.

He has been outspoken about Muslim terrorist attacks that lead to Sept. 11, and recently spoke out against the killing of children in Russia.

He was headed from London (where he now lives) to Washington, DC earlier today. Some loony in the Federal government put his name on the TSA suspected terrorist watchlist, so the plane he was on was diverted to Bangor, ME, Islam was taken off the plane, interviewed by the TSA and FBI and denied entry into the US. Right now he might be in some jail in Bangor, waiting to be deported back to the UK.

First it was Ted Kennedy who ran afoul of the TSA because there was a "T Kennedy" on the watchlist. Now Cat Stevens. Who will it be tomorrow? Kareem Abdul Jabar? Muhammad Ali? Remember, just because you look like somebody famous, if your name sounds suspicious (especially if it's Muslim) you too could be kept from flying on an airplane!

If our bitch was with Saddam Hussein and his regime alone, why is the TSA tightening up security searches even more even though Saddam is no longer in power??? TSA is no longer looking for metal objects...they're looking for plastique.

Here's one story about the bust today:http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20040921215009990008

Miulang

Shades of the McCarthy era! :eek:

[Linkmeister]

That's just the latest in a long line. There was recently a case (http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040824/us_nm/rights_university_dc_1) where a Muslim who was scheduled to teach a class in Muslim ethics at Notre Dame was denied a visa, too.

Drip, drip, drip. Our rights are slowly being taken away, and voters don't notice it or say "couldn't happen to me."

I'm continually reminded of Pastor Martin Niemoller (http://internet.ggu.edu/university_library/if/Niemoller.html).

In Germany they came first for the Communists and I didn't speak up
because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews and I didn't
speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for
the Catholics and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they
came for me--and by that time no one was left to speak up.

[Miulang]

That's just the latest in a long line. There was recently a case (http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040824/us_nm/rights_university_dc_1) where a Muslim who was scheduled to teach a class in Muslim ethics at Notre Dame was denied a visa, too.

Drip, drip, drip. Our rights are slowly being taken away, and voters don't notice it or say "couldn't happen to me."

I'm continually reminded of Pastor Martin Niemoller (http://internet.ggu.edu/university_library/if/Niemoller.html).

I like that quote. Thanks for posting it!

Miulang

[Albert]

I remember Cat Stevens very well and was appalled to hear the story on NPR yesterday about him being denied entry to the USA.

Totally absurd.

[madsox]

I remember Cat Stevens very well and was appalled to hear the story on NPR yesterday about him being denied entry to the USA.

Totally absurd. Amen to that, Albert - I mean, come ON! Cat Stevens is a threat now? Yeah, right, in what universe?!?

I guess the moon shadow he sang about really was following him, but it turned out to be a moonshadow with jackboots!

:mad:

[Albert]

I was pleased to hear that a protest at the almost highest level has been made by the British government. Blair himself should have protested.

(Not that it's going to do any good, of course.)

[Quark]

Radio stations ought to be playing more Cat Stevens music. Then maybe everyone will realize how crazy Homeland Security and the Patriot Act has gotten.

[pzarquon]

Radio stations ought to be playing more Cat Stevens music. Then maybe everyone will realize how crazy Homeland Security and the Patriot Act has gotten.Radio is in the pocket of big business. Big business is in cahoots with the Republican administration. (Remember what happened to the Dixie Chicks?) It'll never happen.

[mel]

BTW, Cat Stevens will be on next week's 20/20 on Friday, ABC.

[admin]

We can continue to track the Cat Stevens case here, but at Mel's suggestion, I've split off a thread to further discuss media bias (http://www.hawaiithreads.com/showthread.php?t=2818).