St. John's Today: April 5, 2000

by Kristine Blacknick

Two questions: Who is Cat Stevens and who is Yusuf Islam? If Stevens' name ignited a few tunes in your head, you probably knew he was a famous folk and rock singer. Islam is a Muslim motivational speaker. But even harder to guess is that the two are the same person.

This past Monday, the St. John's Muslim Students' Association hosted speaker Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens), who spoke to an audience of around four hundred people about his path to the Muslim faith. Stevens is most famous for his songs of the 1960's and 1970's. He wrote such tunes as "I Love My Dog" and "Tea for Tillerman." As his fame rose in the music industry, so did his search for the truth about God and the different faiths, he said.

"I was an icon trying to find the truth," Islam said during his speech. By choosing to become Muslim, Islam was forced to deal with changes in his life. The first was with his family. He had to help his parents come to understand his choice in life. His mother eventually converted and his father did the same on his deathbed, Islam said.

The next thing he faced was what would happen to his music. After researching how the Qur'an, the Islamic Holy Book, dealt with the subject and how the passages were interpreted, Islam decided to take a step back from the career that had made him famous.

"In the beginning, because I as confronted with a conservative view towards music, I took a conservative attitude and withdrew," Islam said. "I would be playing in an environment that can be difficult for a Muslim."

Islam then had to deal with people he associated with before his conversion.

"Some friends and fans accepted the change, others felt betrayed when I should have realy felt betrayd," Islam said. "Everyone has to make their own decision."

After Islam spoke, he took questions from the audience. They ranged from the role of a woman in the Islamic society to any doubts Islam might have had about his choice.

"I have absolutely no doubt," Islam said. "Life is a struggle and yes {Islam} looks difficult compared to the alternative."

With his new belief helping him through life, Islam married and had five children. He founded an Islamic school in London with the money he earned as a pop star.

He also is the chairman for numerous charities. "This was very successful," Islam said when questioned about the night's event. "I'm so satisfied. The audience was great and there were some very good questions."