Yusuf Islam, formerly known as Cat Stevens, is a singer, songwriter, and musician. He rose to prominence in the U.K. beginning in the late 1960s and converted to Islam in 1977. In 1979, he auctioned his guitars off for charity and pivoted to making Islamic music and raising money for Muslim causes. He courted controversy in 1989 by commenting favorably on a fatwa calling for the death of author Salman Rushdie. ¹

In 2004, he appeared on a terrorist watch list due to his reported financial support for Muslim charities with terrorist connections and was temporarily denied entry into the United States. ² In 2006, he returned to music and released his first non-Islamic album in 28 years. ³ As of 2024, he continues to make music, go on tour, and make public speeches in support of Islam and Muslim people. ^{4 5}

Background

The artist now known as Yusuf Islam (formerly known as Cat Stevens) was born Steven Demetre Georgiou in 1948 in London, England. ⁶ Inspired by The Beatles, he began singing and playing guitar as a teen in London pubs. His first album was not a commercial success, but his song “The First Cut is the Deepest” was sold to other singers and became popular. After a near-fatal brush with tuberculosis in 1969, he delved into spiritual practices like yoga and meditation. ⁷ Throughout the early 1970s, he released multiple successful albums and dated Carly Simon. ⁸

In 1976, Stevens suffered another near-death incident, almost drowning in Malibu, California. ⁹ His brother, who had traveled to Jerusalem on a “spiritual search,” brought Stevens a copy of the Qur’an, further raising interest in the religion. He formally converted to Islam in December 1977, changed his name to Yusuf Islam, and married Fauzia Mubarak Ali in 1979. His commitment to Islam intensified until he decided in late 1979 to eschew making secular music and focus on using his musical talents for Islam. ¹⁰ From 1986 to 1993, he worked as chairman of Muslim Aid, helping refugees in Muslim nations. ¹¹

Salman Rushdie Fatwa

In 1989, then-Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling for the death of author Salman Rushdie after he published The Satanic Verses, a novel which some Muslims considered blasphemous. Yusuf Islam was asked about the fatwa on a British television program in May of 1989, and said that instead of burning Rushdie in effigy: “I would have hoped that it would be the real thing.” He also said that if Rushdie ran his doorbell looking for help: “I might ring somebody who might do more damage to him.” He further said he would inform the Ayatollah where Rushdie was, if he knew. Before the program aired, Islam affirmed that he stood by those statements. ¹²

Islam has said that he never called for the death of Salman Rushdie, but only called for his book to be burned. He further claims that he was trapped into his comments, and that the media targeted him because he was a famous Muslim. ¹³

Israel-Hamas 2023 Conflict

When the 2023 Israel-Hamas conflict began, Islam wrote a lengthy statement on his website decrying the violence. He said that Muslims and Jews share a common ancestor in Abraham, and that Abraham’s covenant with God means that the Holy Land is meant for both. ¹⁴

In November 2023, Islam spoke at a pro-Hamas rally in Turkey and called for an end to what he called “genocidal bombings” of Palestinian families. ¹⁵

Yusuf Islam Foundation

Islam founded several Muslim primary schools in the 1980s and 1990s. In 2000, he founded the organization Small Kindness to provide support to orphans in several majority-Muslim countries.  These educational and poverty efforts were brought under the umbrella organization Yusuf Islam Foundation in 2009. ¹⁶

Peace Train, named after Stevens’s 1971 song, has delivered over four million meals to poor children in the UK since April 2020. Islam has announced plans to expand Peace Train’s operations to Malaysia. ¹⁷

1. Howard Fishman. “The Unlikely Return of Cat Stevens.” The New Yorker. September 15, 2017. Accessed March 11, 2024. https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-unlikely-return-of-cat-stevens
2. Jeanne Meserve. “Detained Cat Stevens heading home.” CNN.com. September 22, 2004. Accessed March 11, 2024. https://www.cnn.com/2004/US/09/22/plane.diverted.stevens/
3. Howard Fishman. “The Unlikely Return of Cat Stevens.” The New Yorker. September 15, 2017. Accessed March 11, 2024. https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-unlikely-return-of-cat-stevens
4. “Yusuf Islam Announces North American Tour.” Celebrity Access. Accessed March 11, 2024. https://celebrityaccess.com/caarchive/yusuf-islam-announces-north-american-tour/
5. Saeed Saeed. “Yusuf Cat Stevens urges more celebrities to stand up for Gaza.” The National News. November 3, 2023. Accessed March 11, 2024. https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/music-stage/2023/11/03/yusuf-cat-stevens-on-israel-gaza-war/
6. “Yusuf Islam to set up Peace Train station here.” The Star. March 3, 2024. Accessed March 11, 2024. https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/03/03/yusuf-islam-to-set-up-peace-train-station-here
7.  Amy Reiter. “Cat Stevens.” Salon. August 14, 1999. Accessed March 11, 2024. https://www.salon.com/1999/08/14/cat_2/
8. Amy Kaufman. “The famous and famously vain men of Carly Simon’s ‘The Boys in the Trees.’” Los Angeles Times. November 23, 2015. Accessed March 11, 2024. https://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-jc-the-famous-vain-men-of-carly-simon-s-boys-in-the-trees-20151123-story.html
9. Amy Reiter. “Cat Stevens.” Salon. August 14, 1999. Accessed March 11, 2024. https://www.salon.com/1999/08/14/cat_2/
10. Amy Reiter. “Cat Stevens.” Salon. August 14, 1999. Accessed March 11, 2024. https://www.salon.com/1999/08/14/cat_2/
11. William Trott. “Muslim Aid.” United Press International. February 28, 1986. Accessed March 11, 2024. https://www.upi.com/Archives/1986/02/28/MUSLIM-AID/4717509950800/
12. Craig R. Whitney. “Cat Stevens Gives Support to Call for Death of Rushdie.” New York Times. May 23, 1989. Accessed March 11, 2024. https://www.nytimes.com/1989/05/23/books/cat-stevens-gives-support-to-call-for-death-of-rushdie.html
13. “Editing Floor Blues.” Cat Stevens. Accessed March 11, 2024. https://catstevens.com/editing-floor-blues/
14. “Sons of Abraham.” Cat Stevens. Accessed March 11, 2024. https://catstevens.com/think/joseph-exploring/sons-of-abraham/
15. Quadri Adejumo. “Yusuf Islam Speaks Out at Pro-Hamas Rally Amidst Ongoing Israel-Hamas Conflict.” The People’s Network. November 7, 2023. Accessed March 11, 2024. https://bnnbreaking.com/politics/yusuf-islam-speaks-out-at-pro-hamas-rally-amidst-ongoing-israel-hamas-conflict/
16. “History.” Yusuf Islam Foundation. Accessed March 11, 2024. https://yusufislamfoundation.org/#section-foundation
17. Yusuf Islam to set up Peace Train station here.” The Star. March 3, 2024. Accessed March 11, 2024. https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/03/03/yusuf-islam-to-set-up-peace-train-station-here