You shall not pass, Cat Stevens!

[aerius]

Then why was he referred to on the wire services as "American-born"?

http://www.salon.com/news/wire/2004/09/22/cat/

Because salon is full of shit. Biography Channel, Classic Bands, Artist Facts, Allmusic Guide, not to mention his own damn webpage all say he was born in London. Unless of course you think they're all working for the Evil Republican conspiracy and they're all out to make you look stupid.

[Perinquus]

Then why was he referred to on the wire services as "American-born"?

http://www.salon.com/news/wire/2004/09/22/cat/

Sept. 22, 2004 | Washington -- The singer formerly known as Cat Stevens is forbidden from flying into the United States because of his alleged association with possible terrorists, U.S. officials said Wednesday in explaining why a London-to-Washington flight carrying the peace activist was diverted.

The claim was disputed by the brother of the American-born singer, who changed his name to Yusuf Islam more than 25 years ago and now lives in London.

[emphasis mine -Elfdart]

God knows, since Stevens/Islam is not American. Not only was he not American, his parents weren't even American. His mother was Swedish and his father was a Greek Cypriot. The closest connection he has with America is that he happens to have the same native language.

But don't take my word for it. There's plenty of independent evidence (including Stevens'/Islam's own official website) out there that he is a London-born, British subject:

http://www.cat-stevens.com/
http://launch.yahoo.com/artist/?artistID=1025735
http://www.phillywire.com/Cat_Stevens.html
http://german.imdb.com/name/nm0828310/
http://store.talkislam.com/yusufislam.html
http://www.mountainoflight.co.uk/pages/ ... ofile.html
http://www.online-islamic-store.com/aud ... islam.html
http://www.yusufislam.org.uk/biodata.htm
http://www.islamfortoday.com/yusuf_islam.htm
http://www.geocities.com/wirelessfella/biography.html
http://www.csus.edu/org/msa/pub/yusuf.htm
etc. etc.

Face it. You're wrong. Period.

And I think it is rather revealing how you instantly, and unhesitatingly, without even the tiniest moment's pause for reflection, leap to the conclusion that the U.S. government (under its current, Republican administration) is committing some illegal human rights' violation. It's so very easy, and very natural for you to assume the worst, to leap to the most onerous conclusion, and to impute the very basest possible motives. It never even occurs to you to check your facts, and see if there is, in fact, not only some moral and ethical basis, but some legal grounds for the decision made by the DHS.

You are a blinkered ideologue.

[theski]

Damm 3 smacks on a fact check.. Elf needs to think first post later..