People- Yusuf Islam, the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens, dropped by London's House of Lords last week to talk about "the horrors which are happening more and more in schools"--he cites murders, pregnancies, and drugs--and to support the continuation of a government ban on classroom discussion of homosexuality. He also used the occassion to plug his new children's CD, A Is for Allah, calling it "a syllabus for developing the most sorely lacking quality in young souls: moral conciousness."

Don't think it will break the Hot 100? Consider this: Following his speech, Islam, 52, was presented with a platinum CD to mark the sale of at least 350,000 copies of his 1995 recording The Life of the Last Prophet. The singer, who as Stevens was responsible for the '70s hits "Wild World" and "Peace Train," changed his name and took up Muslim beliefs in 1997, after crediting God with saving him from drowning.