Yusuf Islam Takes Stance for Peace

In 1977 Cat Stevens left his life as a pop music icon behind. After a string of smash hits, he traded his guitar for Islam and took the name Yusuf Islam. At that point in time he never thought he would return to the world of music.

However, 26 years after leaving the stage, Islam is revisiting some of his old hit songs in an effort to aid the overwhelming and still-growing peace movement that has swept the globe as war in the Middle East looms on the horizon.

Says Islam on his website (www.yusufislam.org.uk): “Though times have changed, it's a nice surprise to see that youthful feeling of anti-war sentiment returning once more to the cobbled main streets of Europe.”

Doing his part, Islam has re-released arguably his most famous song, “Peace Train”, and has reworked another of his songs, “Lady D’Arbanville”, to have an anti-war theme tailored to the current crisis. The new piece is entitled “Angel of War”.

“’Peace Train’ is a song I wrote, the message of which continues to breeze thunderously through the hearts of millions and there is a powerful need for people to feel that gust of hope rise up again,” says Islam on his other website, www.catstevens.com. “As a member of humanity and as a Muslim, this is my contribution to the call for a peaceful solution.”

Islam goes on to say, “The present battle we see for global dominance, I believe, is nothing more than a clash of egos. So with ‘Angel of War’, I decided to revisit my legacy of music again and remould another old track, to reflect my thoughts and concerns about the questions to be asked of war today.”

Outside of the world of music, Islam continues his busy schedule as a philanthropist and speaker. He is involved in the humanitarian relief organization Small Kindness as well as a number of educational projects including the Islamia Schools’ Trust, the Waqf Al-Birr Educational Trust and UK Islamic Education Waqf. He has also recorded Islamically themed music as well as a double-cassette spoken word project on the life of the Prophet Muhammad (saaws).

Both “Peace Train” and “Angel of War” are being distributed to radio stations and can be downloaded free of charge from Islam’s website, www.catstevens.com.

I've heard about this story and this song, this a beautiful thing made by Yusuf islam :-)

Cat stevens was a great singer for my genration 70's .But to tell you the truth He became really like a maddog when he decided to convert to islam .And unfortunatelly for us and for him he has really became very radical .I have this picture in my mind when he has sent a call for fatwa against the indian book writer : salman rushdie .From that day and after seeing cat stevens so harsh and so inquisitional ,I change my view on him from peace singer to anger seller .