Singer Cat Stevens Denied U.S. Entry, Flight Diverted

[jarmo]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The former pop singer Cat Stevens (news), now known as Yusuf Islam, was denied entry to the United States and his flight from London was diverted to Maine, after his name turned up on a watch list, a U.S. transportation security official said.


United Flight 919 enroute to Washington was diverted to Bangor where Islam was questioned and detained by federal authorities who planned to put him on a return flight early Wednesday, the official said.


U.S. Customs and border protection authorities discovered that the name matched a federal watch list by checking passenger information transmitted by the airline after the flight departed from London, the official said.


The Washington Post, citing sources familiar with the event reported that Islam, whose name is listed as "Usef Islam," is on several government watch lists, including the no-fly list.


United Airlines spokesman Jeff Green said the carrier was asked by the Transportation Security Administration to divert the plane to Maine for security reasons.


The TSA had the flight diverted to Maine to keep it out of the Northeast corridor airspace, TSA spokesman Nico Melendez said.


The flight, with the remaining passengers, departed for Dulles International Airport after about four hours on the ground and landed at Dulles around 9 p.m., Melendez said.


Cat Stevens had a string of pop hits in the early 1970s including "Moonshadow" and "Wild World" before converting to Islam in late 1977.


http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=638&ncid=762&e=1&u=/nm/20040922/en_nm/security_diversion_dc



/jarmo

[axls_locomotive]

cat stevens hahahaha...who else do they have on their watch list? muhammad ali? whoops too late he is already in the US

taking things a bit foor far methinks

[Timothy]

that is fuck ridicules but yet some what funny.

[MR.BROWNSTONE]

Thanks for posting that Jarmo.  I heard things about Cat Stevens but I did not know he was that far gone. What a waste of talent he had. 

[kj_jive]

Why is he far gone for converting to Islam?  They usually have to change their names.  How about Muhammed Ali (Casius Clay) is he far gone?

[Wheres Izzy]

Why is he far gone for converting to Islam?? They usually have to change their names.? How about Muhammed Ali (Casius Clay) is he far gone?

Uhm, well muhammed ali never threatened the life of an author like cat stevens or whatever he refers to himself as now on account of his religion. read about him and salom rushdi (think thats the spelling) and your post will feel really stupid.

[kj_jive]

Why is he far gone for converting to Islam?? They usually have to change their names.? How about Muhammed Ali (Casius Clay) is he far gone?

Uhm, well muhammed ali never threatened the life of an author like cat stevens or whatever he refers to himself as now on account of his religion. read about him and salom rushdi (think thats the spelling) and your post will feel really stupid.

see man...why is everyone so fuckin hostile?  I was just sayin that not all Muslim's are insane or anything

[axls_locomotive]

Why is he far gone for converting to Islam?  They usually have to change their names.  How about Muhammed Ali (Casius Clay) is he far gone?

Uhm, well muhammed ali never threatened the life of an author like cat stevens or whatever he refers to himself as now on account of his religion. read about him and salom rushdi (think thats the spelling) and your post will feel really stupid.

uhhh dude, he never threatened salman rushdie...he was misquoted as agreeing with the death sentence proclaimed on rushdie by the ayatollah after rushdie wrote the satanic verses...and he publically denounced the attacks on 9/11 btw

[Cornell]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The former pop singer Cat Stevens (news), now known as Yusuf Islam, was denied entry to the United States and his flight from London was diverted to Maine, after his name turned up on a watch list, a U.S. transportation security official said.
/jarmo

I always thought Maine was in the United States.