The NYPost has more on why former "rock star" Cat Stevens, now calling himself Yusuf Islam, was taken off a plane and denied entry to the U.S.:
PUTTING OUT THE CAT
[...]
Why was Islam denied entry to America?
"Because of his activities that could be potentially linked to terrorism," Homeland Security spokesman Brian Doyle said. "The intelligence community has come into possession of additional information that further raises our concern [about the singer]."
One official said the United States had information that Islam had donated money to the terrorist Islamic group Hamas. In 2000, he was barred from Israel for his alleged support of Hamas. "He is not on a watchlist for making verbal threats," an official said.
A Homeland Security official said concerns involved financial support given to a terrorist group since May.
[This would explain why Stevens/Islam was able to visit the U.S. for a musical tour in April, but was stopped now.--Jen]
"It's stuff that he recently did," the official said. "We've had our eye on him, and have known about him," the official said, referring to past charges (denied by Islam) that he had donated money to Hamas.
Indeed, Israeli terror experts alleged that Islam has worked as a cash-mule for London-based jihadists, having smuggled as much as a half-million dollars into Israel, handing it over to an arch-terrorist killed by the Israelis earlier this year.
So surely officials were right to act.
But the incident was troubling for a host of other reasons.
Starting with the fact that if Islam was on a watchlist, how is it possible that he got aboard the plane in the first place — and that it was allowed to take off?
[Was this poor security on the British end? We should definitely find out!--J.T.]
At the same time,the fact that — despite the star's fame — officials did not hesitate to divert the airborne plane once they realized he was aboard is a point in favor of America's post-9/11 air security apparatus.
[I thought about this, too.
It means they're checking the list against passenger manifests and it's got to be at least partially current to catch a "recent" suspect like Islam.
I'm satisfied with what our officials did and feel like they're on the ball!]
Certainly, officials needn't bother answering silly questions from Muslim groups about the actions that were taken regarding Islam's flight.
There's a war on.
America has a right to defend itself.
Case closed.
We Baby Boomers have got our 30-year-old Cat Stevens LPs and can listen to them along with the other "golden oldies" of the 70's, but it's clear that he's not the same guy who made those records.
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