One person's "terrorist" is another's Peace Award winner

[Mavdog]

The refusal to admit Cat Stevens into the US is looking more and more ridiculous.
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Gorbachev Gives Prize to Cat Stevens

By ANGELA DOLAND, Associated Press Writer

ROME - Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev honored the singer once known as Cat Stevens (news) with a peace prize on Wednesday, praising him for charity work and for standing by his convictions despite personal hardships.

Yusuf Islam was awarded the "Man for Peace" prize in Rome at the opening of a meeting of Nobel Peace Prize laureates. He last made headlines in September, when he turned up on Washington's no-fly list for having suspected ties to terrorists — a claim he has strongly denied.

The "Peace Train" singer, who largely gave up music after converting to Islam in the late 1970s, mused about the strangeness of being barred from one country while being honored in another.

"Perhaps it's part of the irony that sometimes you have to go through a test in order to achieve a prize," he told reporters. "So maybe that's a symbol. Today I'm receiving a prize for peace, which is actually, I would say, a bit more descriptive of my ideas and my aims in life."

The British musician was expelled from the United States in September after authorities diverted his London-to-Washington flight to Maine to remove him, saying he was suspected of ties to terrorism.

Islam criticized what he called an "unjust and arbitrary system," and that he has denounced terrorism. He also pointed out that just a few months earlier, he had met with officials of the White House's Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives to talk about philanthropy.

Lawyers for the singer have asked American officials to remove his name from the "no fly" list and British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has complained to American officials about their treatment of him.

Gorbachev's foundation and Rome Mayor Walter Veltroni's office, which presented the award, praised Islam for promoting peace and "for having condemned terrorism."

The former Soviet leader alluded to the musician's troubles.

"Cat Stevens' life has not been simple," Gorbachev said. "Every person who takes a critical stance to make the world a better place ... has a difficult life."

The two men kissed each other on the cheek as Gorbachev handed over the prize.

Islam is the founder of Small Kindness, a charity to raise money for children and families suffering from poverty and war in the Balkans and Middle East. It also donated money to victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and to the fight against AIDS (news - web sites) in South Africa.

Islam has largely shunned music in recent years, although he did record a new version of his 1971 hit "Peace Train" last year for the album "Hope," which raised money for Iraqi children.

The meeting of Nobel laureates, which ends Friday, is organized every year in Rome by the Gorbachev Foundation. Besides Gorbachev, other Nobel winners present included Lech Walesa, the founder of Poland's Solidarity democracy movement; Rigoberta Menchu Tum, who fought government oppression in Guatemala; and former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung (news - web sites).

Islam said he was honored to be attending — "not as a rock 'n' roller, but as someone who is sharing a platform with these noble examples."

Other recipients of the "Man for Peace" award included Italian actor-director Roberto Benigni (news), who won in 2002. Benigni directed and starred in the Oscar-winning film "Life is Beautiful."

[kg_veteran]

Better safe than sorry. I'm not sure if the guy has ties to terrorists or not, but if we have a choice between letting a terrorist in or hurting somebody's feelings, I'll take the latter.

[Mavdog]

Being careful in who we allow into the country is all fine, yet in this case there was no question that Yousef Islam was not a terrorist. There had been face to face meetings between Islam and the White House discussing his chairitable endeavors. Islam was traveling with his daughter.

The episode was a mistake that should have never occured.

[kg_veteran]

It does appear to have been a mistake. Again, I'd rather be safe than sorry.

[Usually Lurkin]

didn't Arafat get some kind of peace prize, too?

[Drbio]

Originally posted by: Mavdog
Being careful in who we allow into the country is all fine, yet in this case there was no question that Yousef Islam was not a terrorist. There had been face to face meetings between Islam and the White House discussing his chairitable endeavors. Islam was traveling with his daughter.

The episode was a mistake that should have never occured.

You have no idea what evidence was available to those who decided to deny this clown entry into the U.S. Your bullcrap statement about there being no question of him being a terrorist is at best idle speculation. If Bin Laden were travelling with a daughter I suppose you'd want to open the gates huh?

Rediculous.

[madape]

Mr. Stevens certainly has the support of Hamas (or is it that Hamas has the support of Cat Stevens?)



Yusuf says - The only way to World Peace is by destuction of Israel and the elimination of the Jews.

You want on Cat's peace train? Only those muslims strapped with explosives are allowed on. Of course, all Jews can board freely.

[FishForLunch]

Osama also built schools and Hospitals in Afghanistan

[dalmations202]

And after all......................

Yassar Arrafat
By 1974 he was recognized as the one legitimate spokesman for the Palestian people. The PLO's attacks on Jewish citizens gave Arafat a worldwide reputation as a terrorist leader, but in the 1980s he emerged as a statesman willing to use diplomacy. Secret meetings in Norway with Israeli leaders Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres in 1993 resulted in a peace agreement, and the three men shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994.

So is he a terrorist or a Peace Award winner.......depends upon whether you were being attacked or not.

[Mavdog]

Let's look to our closest ally in the War on Terror, Great Britain, and see what they say about Yousef Islam:

"British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw complained Wednesday to U.S. officials their treatment of Islam, telling Secretary of State Colin Powell “that this action should not have been taken,” the Foreign Office confirmed"

yep, it was clearly a mistake to label him a "terrorist", or for further proof does the White House have a policy of meeting with "terrorist" to discuss their cooperation in chairatable endeavors?

Didn't thnk so...case closed.

[mavsman55]

It's impossible to shove down people's throats that lives are more important than feelings.

[Drbio]

I don't give a rats shit what England or any other country has to say when our security forces are evaluating whether or not to protect OUR COUNTRY. I guess Mavdog needs a global test too. [img]i/expressions/anim_roller.gif[/img]

[Mavdog]

Originally posted by: Drbio
I don't give a rats shit what England or any other country has to say when our security forces are evaluating whether or not to protect OUR COUNTRY. I guess Mavdog needs a global test too. [img]i/expressions/anim_roller.gif[/img]

That's a heck of an attitude about our partner who has lost citizens in the war on terror and also in Iraq...the country Bush calls his "closest ally and friend".

There's still that pesky meeting that occured before the episode on the airplane between Yousef Islam and the White House. or do they meet with "terrorist"?

[EricaLubarsky]

Originally posted by: kg_veteran
It does appear to have been a mistake. Again, I'd rather be safe than sorry.

whatever happened to "better ten guilty men go free...."

or Ben Franklin

"They that can give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty or safety".

[kg_veteran]

Originally posted by: EricaLubarsky

whatever happened to "better ten guilty men go free...."

or Ben Franklin

"They that can give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty or safety".

I really don't see how either of those quotes have to do with what I'm talking about. All that they did was temporarily deny him entry into the country. They didn't convict him of anything or take away any of his liberties.

[kg_veteran]

Originally posted by: Mavdog

That's a heck of an attitude about our partner who has lost citizens in the war on terror and also in Iraq...the country Bush calls his "closest ally and friend".

I'm not sure what your point is. Are you taking the position that we should consult with Britain on how we should formulate our terror screening policies?

There's still that pesky meeting that occured before the episode on the airplane between Yousef Islam and the White House. or do they meet with "terrorist"?

Again, what's your point? You're just arguing from hindsight and saying that they made a mistake. Assuming that to be the case, why do you have a problem with the steps they took to ensure that he wasn't a threat?

[Mavdog]

Originally posted by: kg_veteran
I'm not sure what your point is. Are you taking the position that we should consult with Britain on how we should formulate our terror screening policies?

more than "how we should formulate our screening policies" it is a question of in light of the flagging of a non-terrorist as a terrorist, the diversion of a plane to remove the non-terrorist and the ultimate expulsion of that non-terrorist, what is the basis of these clearly incorrect "screening policies".

Again, what's your point? You're just arguing from hindsight and saying that they made a mistake. Assuming that to be the case, why do you have a problem with the steps they took to ensure that he wasn't a threat?

They were so clearly in error., and they should have seen it before they went to such lengths, especially before they deported the guy. It shows gross incompetence.

[kg_veteran]

Originally posted by: Mavdog
more than "how we should formulate our screening policies" it is a question of in light of the flagging of a non-terrorist as a terrorist, the diversion of a plane to remove the non-terrorist and the ultimate expulsion of that non-terrorist, what is the basis of these clearly incorrect "screening policies".

You didn't answer my question.

They were so clearly in error., and they should have seen it before they went to such lengths, especially before they deported the guy. It shows gross incompetence.

I'd have to go back and look, but I seem to remember reading at the time that the guy had given money to Hamas or somesuch. I don't think they were that far out of line in their suspicions, even if they ultimately proved wrong.

[mercury_rev]

I know this doesn't follow the flow of the thread, but what's the frickin' deal with awarding a "peace" prize to a guy who called for Salman Rushdie's death? Just like Arafat (who's now dead) getting the Nobel Peace prize.

I also find it quite odd how the AP report doesn't mention that little detail about Yusuf's life. Then again, it's an AP report.

[Drbio]

madoogie has no idea if they were in error or not. He simply refuses to acknoweldge the FACT that he is not aware of all of the information that was available to those who denied him entry. Period. No mistake was made.

[Mavdog]

Originally posted by: Drbio
madoogie has no idea if they were in error or not. He simply refuses to acknoweldge the FACT that he is not aware of all of the information that was available to those who denied him entry. Period. No mistake was made.

LMAO. they should have had the same info as the White House did when they met with him earlier.

just keep those blinders on. You wear them well.

[Drbio]

What an ignorant tool. You can't even grasp that yo uare not privy to the information that was available to those who are responsible for keeping potential terrorsits like Cat Stevens out of our country.

I'm not surprised. You've shown in other threads your sympathies for terrorists, etc.

[Mavdog]

Originally posted by: Drbio
What an ignorant tool. You can't even grasp that yo uare not privy to the information that was available to those who are responsible for keeping potential terrorsits like Cat Stevens out of our country.

I'm not surprised. You've shown in other threads your sympathies for terrorists, etc.

yep, those blinders remain firmly attached.

Not only has it been shown that there is no basis for saying "potential terrorists like Cat Stevens", you can't even grasp the fact that Cat Stevens was seen in such a favorable light that the White House held meetings with him to discuss how they can work on projects together prior to Homeland Security banishing him.

or does the White House routinely meet with "potential terrorists" to work out cooperative ventures?
yuck yuck yuck.

[Drbio]

Are you really that stupid or is it just schtick?

Nevermind. We all know the answer to that.