For those of you who like Cat Stevens' music and were upset too when he converted to Islam and quit making music (not so much the conversion to Islam, but the quit making music part) you should go get his album An Other Cup. It is excellent! Sounds a lot like the old Cat Stevens.

I had heard rumors that he was going to go back into music then I saw a piece on him on last Sunday's (12-AUG) CBS News Sunday Morning. I DVR'd it as I knew I had no plans on getting up that early!

It was a good segment. I found this link to the article on CBS's web site, but didn't find a link to the video story. I didn't look too hard though!

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/11/30/sunday/main2221286.shtml?source=search _story

Anyway, if you like Cat Stevens, I think you'll like the album.

"Salmon Rushdie, or indeed any writer who abuses the prophet or indeed any prophet, under Islamic law, the sentence for that is actually death. It's got to be seen as a deterrent, so that other people should not commit the same mistake again."

- Yusuf Islam, the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens

I will not be buying his album.

Is that for real Randy? I had no idea. Has he "recanted" or something?

He said that in 1989 at the height of the Salmon Rushdie controversy, and the quote is repeated a couple of pages into the linked article. He tries to claim he was misinterpreted but doesn't really recant anything as best as I can tell.

Edit: He says he did not support Ayatollah Khomeini's edict calling for the death of Rushdie, but did quote the passage from the Koran, and did not make it clear at the time (1989) that he didn't support the Ayatollah.

Randy, that's the way he put it on the CBS program on the 12th.

As you mentioned, he stated he was just saying what the Koran says.

It's still a good album!