Cultural Event #5: Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam Website Review

When asking people what they know about Cat Stevens, most will say something along the lines of, “Oh he was that singer back in the 70s; didn’t he get deported from the US for being a terrorist or something?”  This may be the extent of the knowledge many people have about Cat Stevens, or Yusuf Islam as he is known today, but there is a much deeper story behind this musical artist that decided to embrace the Muslim faith. 

To find out more on the life of Yusuf Islam, I visited http://catstevens.com, the official website of Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam.  I had never been on a website quite like it before.  Navigating around the site, I felt as if I was walking through an actual room.  It was the most interactive and innovative way to set up a website.  There were no boring lists of links or information.  Every section of the site was represented by a portrait hanging on the wall (Photo Gallery), French doors leading outside (Links), a vintage TV (Video), a cup of tea (Home), a record player (Audio), and countless other odds and ends strewn about the room.

One of the most memorable videos featured on the site is one showcasing Yusuf performing his classic “Wild World” alongside Peter Gabriel at a concert in South Africa in 2003.  Instead of a regular band, a choir sung back up while dressed in traditional African clothing.  It was interesting to see such a culturally diverse spin on such a classic ‘70s song, bringing together rocker Peter Gabriel, Yusuf Islam representing Muslim culture, and traditional South African music.  It was a truly beautiful performance, symbolizing Yusuf’s belief in the unity that music can create. 

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[Yusuf Islam/Peter Gabriel performing "Wild World" at a concert in South Africa in 2003]

In a Frequently Asked Questions section of the website, a question was asked, “Did Cat Stevens say “Kill Rushdie!”?  This caught my eye due to the fact we are reading East, West by Salman Rushdie in my Multicultural Literature class.  Yusuf responds that he never said those words, and that he did not support the Fatwa that was placed on Rushdie after writing The Satanic Verses.  He simply thinks the novel “destroyed the harmony between peoples, and created an unnecessary international crisis.”  While some people may argue that Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam is an artist who renounced Christianity to become a Muslim because he believes in the same values as terrorists, this is not the case.  Muslims are not terrorists, and Yusuf Islam chose to embrace this religion because of the goodness it brought to his life.  Just like Salman Rushdie, his personal choices in life caused many to misunderstand him.  In reality, he and Rushdie are both talented individuals who have strong conviction in their beliefs and opinions. 

Yusuf Islam’s philosophy on life rests in his quote:

“The language of song is simply the best way to communicate the powerful winds of change which brought me to where I am today, and the love of peace still passing through my heart.”