Jet diverted after Cat Stevens found on watch list

[Zarco]

Jet diverted after Cat Stevens found on watch list

A plane bound for Washington from London was diverted to Maine on Tuesday after passenger Yusuf Islam — formerly known as pop singer Cat Stevens — showed up on a U.S. watch list, a federal official said.

United Airlines Flight 919 had already taken off from London en route to Dulles International Airport when the match was made between the passenger and the watch list, said Nico Melendez, a spokesman for the Transportation Security Administration.

The plane was met by federal agents at Maine's Bangor International Airport around 3 p.m., Melendez said.

Federal officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, identified the individual as Islam.

One official said Islam, 56, was identified by the Advanced Passenger Information System, which requires airlines to send passenger information to U.S. Customs and Border Protection's National Targeting Center. TSA was then contacted and requested that the plane land at the nearest airport, the official said.

"He was interviewed and denied admission to the United States on national security grounds," said Homeland Security spokesman Dennis Murphy. He said the man would be put on the first available flight out of the country Wednesday.

Islam, who was born Stephen Georgiou, took Cat Stevens as a stage name and had a string of hits in the 1960s and '70s, including "Wild World" and "Morning Has Broken." Last year he released two songs, including a re-recording of his '70s hit "Peace Train," to express his opposition to the U.S.-led war in Iraq.

He abandoned his music career in the late 1970s and changed his name after being persuaded by orthodox Muslim teachers that his lifestyle was forbidden by Islamic law. He later became a teacher and an advocate for his religion, founding a Muslim school in London in 1983.

Islam recently condemned the school seizure by militants in Beslan, Russia, earlier this month that left more than 300 dead, nearly half of them children.

In a statement on his Web site, he wrote, "Crimes against innocent bystanders taken hostage in any circumstance have no foundation whatsoever in the life of Islam and the model example of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him."

Fonte: Associated Press / USA Today - 21/09/2004

Yusuf Islam, formerly known as pop artist Cat Stevens, was aboard United Airlines Flight 919.
Foto: Kevin Anderson (AP/The Kansas City Star)

[marcogiov]

Col permesso del moderatore, ma quando ci vuole....

Incredibile! Che massa di fottuti coglioni! Nemmeno l' hanno rispedito a casa dall' aeroporto d' arrivo, hanno bloccato un aereo in volo, rompendo l' anima a centinaia di passeggeri.

[I-BIMB]

Uh, baby baby it's a wild world

[I-DAVE]

It's now time, to make a change...

DaV

[spantax]

...Lisa lisa, sad lisa lisa....


Andiamo avanti ?

[I-TIGI]

Eh,eh....be' gli americani vanno a caccia delle streghe...mica di Bin Laden !!!

[Zarco]

Passenger Cat Stevens to Be Deported

Homeland Security officials said Yusuf Islam formerly known as singer Cat Stevens will be deported Wednesday after being denied entry to the U.S. for being on a government watch list.
The former singer was a passenger on United Airlines Flight 919, en route to Dulles International Airport from London when the match was made Tuesday between a passenger and a name on the watch list, said Nico Melendez, a spokesman for the Transportation Security Administration.

The plane diverted to Maine and met by federal agents at Bangor International Airport around 3 p.m. EDT, Melendez said.

Homeland Security Department spokesman Dennis Murphy identified the passenger as Islam. "He was interviewed and denied admission to the United States on national security grounds," Murphy said.

Officials had no details about why the peace activist might be considered a risk to the United States. Islam had visited New York in May for a charity event and to promote a DVD of his 1976 MajiKat tour.

One official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Islam, 56, was identified by the Advanced Passenger Information System, which requires airlines to send passenger information to Customs and Border Protection's National Targeting Center. The Transportation Security Administration then was contacted and requested that the plane land at the nearest airport, that official said.

Melendez said Islam was questioned by FBI and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.

Another federal official, who is in law enforcement and spoke anonymously because of agency policy, said that after the interview, Customs officials decided to deny Islam entry into the United States.

Flight 919 continued on to Dulles after Islam was removed from the flight.

Islam, who was born Stephen Georgiou, took Cat Stevens as a stage name and had a string of hits in the 1970s, including "Wild World" and "Morning Has Broken." Last year he released two songs, including a re-recording of his 1971 hit "Peace Train," to express his opposition to the U.S.-led war in Iraq.

He abandoned his music career in the late 1970s and changed his name after being persuaded by orthodox Muslim teachers that his lifestyle was forbidden by Islamic law. He later became a teacher and an advocate for his religion, founding a Muslim school in London in 1983.

Islam founded Islamia Primary school in London in 1983. In 1998, it became the first Muslim school in Britain to receive government support, on the same basis as Christian and other sectarian schools.

A statement posted on a fan-supported Web site where his music is promoted said Islam being on a watch list "is certainly an error."

"It's also a very sad state of affairs when a man best known as a peace loving pop star can be grouped into the same category Osama Bin Laden just because of his chosen faith," the statement said.

Islam drew some negative attention in the late 1980s when he supported the Ayatollah Khomeini's death sentence against Salman Rushdie, author of "The Satanic Verses." Recently, though, Islam has criticized terrorist acts, including the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and the school seizure in Beslan, Russia, earlier this month that left more than 300 dead, nearly half of them children.

In a statement on his Web site, he wrote, "Crimes against innocent bystanders taken hostage in any circumstance have no foundation whatsoever in the life of Islam and the model example of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him."

After the Sept. 11 attacks, Islam issued a statement saying: "No right thinking follower of Islam could possibly condone such an action: The Quran equates the murder of one innocent person with the murder of the whole of humanity."

Fonte: Assoiciated Press (via ABCNews.com - 22/09/2004)

[marcogiov]

WASHINGTON - Cat Stevens il giorno dopo: "Metà di me vorrebbe farsi una grassa risata, l'altra metà è molto arrabbiata". Il cantautore [...] commenta oggi l'episodio che lo ha visto protagonista di un allarme anti terrorismo, ieri sul volo da Londra a Washington. Dopo l'espulsione dagli Stati Uniti per presunte attività terroristiche, Cat Stevens è rientrato nella notte a Londra.

"L'intera vicenda è ridicola", è stato il primo commento di Stevens, assediato dai giornalisti al suo arrivo a Londra. "E' una follia. Tutti mi conoscono per il mio impegno filantropico e qualcuno dovrà dare delle spiegazioni, ma adesso sono contento di essere a casa".
Stevens ha preannunciato che intende consultarsi con il suo avvocato. Alla domanda se si senta un perseguitato, l'ex cantante ha risposto: "Assolutamente. Ma sapete che per amore di Dio le persone commettono degli errori. Spero solo che abbiano fatto un grosso sbaglio".

Le autorità americane hanno negato ieri il visto di ingresso a Stevens, convertito all'islam con il nome di Yussuf Islam, perché lo sospettano di legami con gruppi estremistici islamici. L'incidente ha provocato la reazione indignata di diverse organizzazioni islamiche edel governo britannico: il ministro degli Esteri Jack Straw, che si trova a New York per l'assemblea generale delle Nazioni Unite, ha protestato personalmente con il segretario di Stato americano Colin Powell.


la Repubblica
(23 settembre 2004)