Cat Stevens Quotes
Not only did the terrorists hijack planes and destroy life, but they also hijacked the peaceful religion of Islam and split the brother and sisterhood of mankind.
Islam, Yusuf. Press Statement, 2001.
Most Americans and Europeans and their governments feel that Muslim leaders and organizations have not done very much in terms of “drawing the line” and publicly condemning terrorism. However many of the critics did not understand the intimidation that exists in most Islamic communities where the fascist fundamentalists target any Muslim public critics as heretics and apostates themselves. Many have been killed or injured in assassination attempts.
Muslim clerics throughout the world had been relatively mild in their criticism of Islamic Extremists and Terrorists. Delic was one of those who urged stronger moral statements. Many of the Muslim clerics in the world actually were themselves holders of Wahhabi and other extremist views. However, many also opposed terrorism and felt that there was nothing in Islam that could justify the indiscriminate killing. However, a number of these were intimidated lest an extremist Muslim cleric issue a Fatwa calling for his death for heresy. Most of us did not then, and even today, do no really understand the extent and frequency of these threats in the Muslim world (and even in the West) and the very frequent assassination or serious wounding of those Muslims who publicly criticize the extremist terrorists. Delic had much more courage than most.
This is a particularly noteworthy quotation as Muslims are often accused of intolerance and here is a Muslim who argues that it is the responsibility of religious leaders to present religion in a tolerant manner.
Essentially, he is advocating a reformation of the Islamic religion, much like that which has taken place in Christianity and Judaism. However, while most Muslims of the world are not extreme fundamentalists, most of the existing clerics (as did their Christian and Jewish counterparts years ago) turn any attempt at reform into blasphemy and sin. Throughout much of the Islamic world, Muslims who argue publicly for reform are at risk for their lives as the existing Muslim clerics generally encourage attacks on reforms or turn a blind eye to efforts to suppress reform.
Yusuf Islam, commonly known by his stage names Cat Stevens, Yusuf, and Yusuf / Cat Stevens, is a British singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. His musical style consists of folk, pop, rock, and, in his later career, Islamic music, before returning to secular music in 2006. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.
