"Legendary Cat Stevens came by to see me today as I worked at home on a sermon."
~Rick Warren, Source (with screenshot of a the photo posted by rick Warren),
Between the Lines, Rick Warren Meets Cat Stevens, by Jospeh Farah 10/11/2013
Curiosity causes one to ask questions like:
Who took the photo?
Is this a publicity stunt?
Did "Stevens" drive over solo, or were there body guards around?
Does "Cat Stevens" just happen to drop over to visit friends like Pastor Rick while he is busy writing sermons in his den? You have to wonder. Rick sure made it sound as if Cat Stevens just casually stopped by.
It's odd. It is so odd, in fact, that he has since removed this post; but it can be googled.
Pastor Rick Warren - Facebookhttps://m.facebook.com/pastorrickwarren?v=feedTo connect with Pastor Rick Warren, join Facebook today. ... Legendary Cat Stevensdropped by to see me today while I was studying at home for a sermon.
The man in the photo with Rick, was once a famous American musician who went by the name Cat Stevens in the American music industry. He wrote classic songs, like Peace Train, Moonshadow, and even a rendition of the hymn, Morning Has Broken, that is sung in churches. He is an artist that a lot of the younger generation today probably do not even know because he kinda disappeared from the music scene when he changed his life and identity in order to embrace the religion of Islam. Stevens' conversion to Islam in 1977, much like the conversion of Cassius Clay in 1975, was a very high-profile conversion. His new name is Yusuf Islam and he touring the world, singing, teaching.... even spending time in America to promote his religion.
(What does he promote? Hear Yusuf Islam teach here or here.)
Stevens was raised by Christian parents and thereby exposed to Christianity as a child and he says that he believed in God when he was young, but he says that he never did embrace the Christian faith completely in his heart.
“Religion was constantly making me feel guilty, warning me about immorality and dangers of this fleshly life,” writes Yusuf Islam, (formerly Cat Stevens) on his webpage as he reminisces the events that lead him “to Allah.” He said that the world of Christianity he was born into, “produced only guilt” in his life of sin, so he ventured into Transcendental Meditation, Buddhism, Zen, Hinduism, Astrology, I-Ching, and Sufism to find answers. Eventually, while praying to God to save him while he was drowning in the sea, a wave came and rescued him, which he attributed to Allah. The Institute of Islamic Information and Education writes proudly about Stevens’ conversion at their webpage. They quote Yusuf Islam as saying, “Guidance was something that eluded me, no matter how hard I tried, until I was shown the Qur'an. Now I realize I can get in direct contact with God, unlike Christianity or any other religion.”
So, let us let the cat our of the bag.... Rick Warren should have introduced his visitor to readers of his posts as Yusuf Islam. That is who this man in the photo really is.
At his embrace of Islam, Stevens changed his name, denounced his U.S. citizenship, left behind the person he once was and renounced the evils of the stringed instrument, the guitar; by giving them all away. Yusuf Islam is now, and has been, since 1978, Moslem.
Religious songs sung by Moslems are either sung without any musical instruments or sung only with percussion type of instruments. In Moslem countries,, like Iran, his is because Muslim scholars and leaders consider music made with strings, to be Haram, which means, forbidden. In Saudi Arabia, Islamic lessons have classes that teach music is forbidden. As an adherent to the teachings of Mohammed as Prophet of Allah, Yusuf wanted to be obedient to the teachings of the prophet in this regard. He also asked the record companies with which he had contracts with to stop selling his albums. Read more about the Cat and his musical career, here.
For twenty years, Yusuf did not play one string, then for some reason, he changed his tune. He now believes that stringed music is halal, that is, permissible, particularly if it is in praise of Allah or used to proselytize the Islamic religion in other countries around the world. It is with this new outlook that Yusuf Islam has re-immersed himself in the music world and has been returning to the limelight in America.
Yusuf Islam’s return on the music scene began with Islamic texts he recorded in Arabic. The first was called The Life of the Last Prophet, (1995.) He then made other recordings including Prayers of the Last Prophet (1999.) and a recording for children titled, A Is for Allah, (2000.) It’s wasn't until 2006 that he recorded, Footsteps in the Light, a compilation of his own songs, both old and new, sung mostly in English. Then December 19, 2006 Yusuf did something the world never thought they would ever see again. He took the stage in front of a live, invitation only, US audience in Manhattan with a guitar and played some of his old Cat Stevens’ songs such as The Wind, Oh Very Young and Peace Train.
Yusuf has a new outlook.
The justification he uses for this change in his point of view is the argument that music in Islam is actually "controversial." He says that he didn't know enough about the issue of music when he first converted, but that after studying the Qur’an for 20+ years, he has been able to come to his own conclusion on the matter and he has decided to play the guitar. He has even has posted his position paper on his website, where addresses the issue. It's found in a file he titles, “Music: A Question of Faith or Da'wah?” In it Yusuf says that he writes the paper to silence those who would oppose or criticize him for going public with his music. (see: www.mountainoflight.com.)
His position is that besides music never having been a clear issue, the people of the Book (Jews and Christians...specifically named as those “people”) need to be converted. As a Moslem, he believes that he is required to perform Da’wah, (proselytizing,) so he is being a missionary to those people. As he picks up his guitar, he claims that music is not a matter of faith, but of understanding. His return to the music scene is to give the rest of the listening world Allah’s invitation to live according to Allah’s will.
In January 2007, New York Times interviewer Deborah Solomon asked Yusuf Islam bluntly about his return to the music industry, noting his previously highly publicized conversion and vocalization of his strong religious beliefs regarding his playing the guitar.. His response: “I never actually committed myself to stating or believing that musical instruments were prohibited by Islam. It was just a gray area, so I stayed out in order to avoid conflict."
Yusuf also preferred to avoid conflict when in 1989, the Ayatollah Khomeini made the fatwah, (a legal edict for a death sentence to be carried out) against novelist Salman Rushdie over his fourth novel, Satanic Verses. Yusuf’s silence on the fatwah issue was so loudly proclaimed that major radio stations in America decided to stop playing old Cat Steven’s music. One station, WNEW FM in New York, promoted freedom of speech by offering free copies of Rushdie’s book, Satanic Verses to listeners who sent in their old Cat Stevens records. Even as a million-dollar reward for Rushdie's death was offered by a top Muslim official, and Ayatollah Khomeini called for zealous Muslims to execute the publishers of the book as well as Rushdie, Yusuf Islam was silent. Freedom of speech is not something valued in Islam.
It was July 2000 when BBC and ABC News headlines reported that Yusuf Islam was denied entry to Israel with allegations that he had donated tens of thousands of dollars to the Islamic terrorist group, Hamas. The connection was believed to have come through a charitable organization based in Canada that Yusuf Islam supported at the time, then called the Jerusalem Fund for Human Services. When questioned Yusuf Islam claimed to have never heard of terrorist groups like Hamas. He insisted that his money goes to “charities, not terrorists.”
When he was questioned about saying that he didn't know about Hamas, he said, "At the time I was reported to have done it, I didn't know such a group existed. Some people give a political interpretation to charity. We were horrified at how people were suffering in the Holy Land."and “I never knowingly gave any terrorist group money.” He also said, “I've helped to buy ambulances in the Holy Land. Obviously quite clear and supportable aims.”
Despite his own thinking that he was simply giving aid to needy people, he remained suspicious to authorities and four years later a plane he was on was denied entry into the US and Yusuf was forced to return to London.
Yusuf still claims he is not a terrorist or a terrorist supporter, insisting always that as a Moslem he is a man of peace. In fact he was the recipient of the “Man of Peace” award for 2004, a prestigious award that was presented to him in Rome by former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev (and a committee of Nobel Peace Prize Laureates.) Gorbachev stated that the award was given to Yusuf Islam "for having dedicated the most part of his life in the promotion of peace and reconciliation among peoples and for having condemned terrorism."
Gorbachev praised Yusuf Islam for "condemning terrorism," but to "condemn" something means to pronounce judgment upon, or disapproval of. A person does not truly “condemn terror” when they approve murder for money or by remaining ignorant about terrorist groups in the Holy Land.
Yusuf Islam has chosen to be silent about many things, but one thing that Yusuf is not silent about is Islam. On the other hand, (and unfortunately for those who hang on Rick's every word, Rick Warren is not very interested in sharing his "deepest faith in Jesus" with people who have never heard the good news that Jesus resurrected from the dead and that by faith in Him people can have forgiveness of their sins and the incredible gift of God, eternal life. He has another interest; that of helping people of all faiths maintain their separate traditions and their convictions without compromise...and this while working together for the greater good of everybody in the world. (Read his transcript saying exactly this here.) Most of all, he is interested in getting everyone in the world involved in his very own P.E.A.C.E. Plan and as a leader of leaders, he has an incredible interest in overseeing "interfaith projects."
"You know that obviously as an evangelical pastor, my deepest faith is in Jesus Christ. But you also need to know that I am committed not just what I call the “Good News,” but I am committed to the common good. And as the Scripture says “Love your neighbor as yourself.” I am commanded to love and I am commanded to respect everybody. Everybody. Now I was asked to speak to you about how Muslims and Christians can work closer together for the greater good, in our world. And I will tell you that I am not interested in interfaith dialogue, I am interested in interfaith projects."
When he was questioned about saying that he didn't know about Hamas, he said, "At the time I was reported to have done it, I didn't know such a group existed. Some people give a political interpretation to charity. We were horrified at how people were suffering in the Holy Land."and “I never knowingly gave any terrorist group money.” He also said, “I've helped to buy ambulances in the Holy Land. Obviously quite clear and supportable aims.”
Despite his own thinking that he was simply giving aid to needy people, he remained suspicious to authorities and four years later a plane he was on was denied entry into the US and Yusuf was forced to return to London.
Yusuf still claims he is not a terrorist or a terrorist supporter, insisting always that as a Moslem he is a man of peace. In fact he was the recipient of the “Man of Peace” award for 2004, a prestigious award that was presented to him in Rome by former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev (and a committee of Nobel Peace Prize Laureates.) Gorbachev stated that the award was given to Yusuf Islam "for having dedicated the most part of his life in the promotion of peace and reconciliation among peoples and for having condemned terrorism."
Gorbachev praised Yusuf Islam for "condemning terrorism," but to "condemn" something means to pronounce judgment upon, or disapproval of. A person does not truly “condemn terror” when they approve murder for money or by remaining ignorant about terrorist groups in the Holy Land.
Yusuf Islam has chosen to be silent about many things, but one thing that Yusuf is not silent about is Islam. On the other hand, (and unfortunately for those who hang on Rick's every word, Rick Warren is not very interested in sharing his "deepest faith in Jesus" with people who have never heard the good news that Jesus resurrected from the dead and that by faith in Him people can have forgiveness of their sins and the incredible gift of God, eternal life. He has another interest; that of helping people of all faiths maintain their separate traditions and their convictions without compromise...and this while working together for the greater good of everybody in the world. (Read his transcript saying exactly this here.) Most of all, he is interested in getting everyone in the world involved in his very own P.E.A.C.E. Plan and as a leader of leaders, he has an incredible interest in overseeing "interfaith projects."
"You know that obviously as an evangelical pastor, my deepest faith is in Jesus Christ. But you also need to know that I am committed not just what I call the “Good News,” but I am committed to the common good. And as the Scripture says “Love your neighbor as yourself.” I am commanded to love and I am commanded to respect everybody. Everybody. Now I was asked to speak to you about how Muslims and Christians can work closer together for the greater good, in our world. And I will tell you that I am not interested in interfaith dialogue, I am interested in interfaith projects."
~Rick Warren, Transcript from the 46th Annual Islamic Society of America Conference, 2009 Source: www.beliefnet.com.
2 Corinthians 6:14
"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers:"
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