Taken from CNN.com


Former pop star Cat Stevens, a convert to Islam, has recorded his first song in 25 years to raise money for children affected by the U.S.-led war in Iraq.

Stevens, who now uses the name Yusuf Islam, re-recorded his 1971 hit song "Peace Train" at studios in Johannesburg, South Africa.

It is among tracks on "Hope," an album produced for the War Child charity that helps children in war-torn countries. Other contributors include former Beatle Paul McCartney, David Bowie and George Michael.

" 'Peace Train' is a song I wrote, the message of which continues to breeze thunderously through the hearts of millions of human beings, and there is a powerful need for people to feel that gust of hope rise up again," Islam wrote in a statement posted Monday on his Web site.

"As a member of humanity and as a Muslim, this is my contribution to the call for a peaceful solution to the dangerous path some world leaders today seem to be taking."

Islam, who was born Stephen Georgiou, took Cat Stevens as a stage name and had a string of hits in the early 1970s. He abandoned his music career in 1977 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.

"Hope" will be released April 21.

I hate to start a flamewar here...but why wasn't this guy singing for the Iraqi children while Saddam was slaughtering innocent Iraqis?

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""As a member of humanity and as a Muslim, this is my contribution to the call for a peaceful solution to the dangerous path some world leaders today seem to be taking."

His contribution would have been just as meaningful _before_ we started bombing the shit out of Iraq.

Isn't Cat Stevens the same guy who agreed with the Ayatollah Khomeini to have Salman Rushdie assassinated? Wrote a lot of good songs though.

Agent A -- You are correct. It is the same guy.

Yes, he wrote a lot of good songs. 25 years ago, before he changed his name.

Just another musician feeling their measure of popular adoration and fame gives him the right to pontificate on geopolitical situations.

If I wanted an expert opinion, I would NOT consult a pop songwriter, regardless of his musical credits.

And you've gotta ask yourself this.

"his lifestyle was forbidden by Islamic law" 25 years ago.

And today it is not?

Hey! HE WROTE THE SONG WHEN IT WAS AT THE TIME! THE FACT IT NOW APPLIES IS JUST A FABRICATION OF TIME! WE ALL HAVE THAT ABILITY, IT HAS NOITHING TO DO WITH WHO DID WHAT AND WHEN........OR MIGHT WE REMEMBER "ADOLF HITLER" IT IS ONLY A SONG FROM ONE INDIVIDUALS LIFE EXPIERIENCE!

THESE PEOPLE [MIDDLE EASTERN] APPRECIATE NOTHING WE AS AMERICANS COVET! THEY DESPISE US FROM OUR ANCESTORS MUCH AS THE ANGLO/NEGRO SITUATION STILL EXISTS....IT WILL TAKE Another few generations to fix the "bullshit" the SIX GENERATIONS BEFORE US BEGAN! ....OH ONE MORE POINT, THESE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLING THEMSELVES IN THE NAME OF "GOD' FOR GENREATIONS NOW, THEY GREW UP WITH A FIREARM IN THEIR HANDS.....DO WE BELONG THERE? I DO NOT KNOW OR THINK SO!

LET SADDAM KILL HIS OWN KIND, HE HAS THE RANGE TO DO SO, BUT IF HE STRIKES ISREAL, THEN HE WILL HAVE THE WORLD OF SHIT ON HIS HANDS THE AMERICANS ARE NOT WILLING TO DO!

LET ISREAL BE HIS LIMITS IN THE WORLD!

Rico, first, turn off the caps lock key. Now, you think Saddam should be allowed to kill his own and have some border outside of that. Why? That's not very humanitary like. It's not even compassion like. Don't you have the slighest bit of respect for the value of a human life? I for one wish that we didn't need wars, but it is the sad reality of things that I've accepted long ago.

Kneo,

I for one do not see that we are there for the fact he is killing his own. We are there under the guise that he has weapons to do so. Lives are being lost and will continue to be for "longer than expected", its one thing for him to arm up for his neighbors but we definately are outside our own borders.

We were provoked into the area by 9/11, that was one thing and we had to do what we did not by choice.

It seems to be too odd that, "while we're here" lets get on to another thing. All to coincedental in my mind, you can see what US response is if someone invades this country,"Afganistan".

We are in a place where the value of life comes down to "Suicide" bombers, so yes I have a value for life, in the middle east they do not. It is all in the name of "God" to those people and to take ones own life for the greater cause of taking others with them is a fact of life there.

Now our soldiers will be faced with killing innocent people in the face of fear, how will the world view them? They have to do so for the fact that just as in Vietnam women and children would kill too.

This is still "Desert Storm" make no mistake about that.

He has killed his own before in the past. Have you been living under a rock? You're the only person who seems to not know this. Whatever the "guise", it's still a good idea to go in there and take Saddam out.

If you really valued human life, then you wouldn't have said this,

"LET SADDAM KILL HIS OWN KIND, HE HAS THE RANGE TO DO SO, BUT IF HE STRIKES ISREAL, THEN HE WILL HAVE THE WORLD OF SHIT ON HIS HANDS THE AMERICANS ARE NOT WILLING TO DO!"

The two statements contradict each other. Make up your mind.

Call it what you will, when Saddam transcends his own borders, there will be plenty of countries ready to band together. Until then it is only the US and Britan.

Afganistan was a personal cause and I applaud it, I need that kind of reason for us to be there.

I see, who cares about humanitarian like efforts right? I'm not going to say that there isn't some underlying motive for this, but outwardly it's a good cause. Shouldn't we deal with that at first? We're over right there now, as is. Protesting this war isn't going to change that. When are people going to wake up and smell that coffee?