20/20

[trouble]

Did anyone get to watch this tonight? if so what did you think?
peace and much love
~jamie~
aka trouble

[Vivian]

I just posted on the Yusuf forum. The end made me burst into tears. I felt every bit of Yusuf's pain. He is so hurt.

Peace,Vivian

[hummingbird]

Very bittersweet.

Not a lot of new information and obviously no answers yet. I wish a little more history was given regarding Yusuf's schools and charitable works. The program was a little light on substance.

But as always, it was good to see Yusuf ... I only wish it was surrounding happier circumstances.

Hey, let's all go to London

-jen.

[sue]

It was a light interview, but got the point across I think.
Jen, good idea to go to London, or wait to see him when he gets to Nashville.

[Vivian]

hummingbird said:

Very bittersweet.

Not a lot of new information and obviously no answers yet. I wish a little more history was given regarding Yusuf's schools and charitable works. The program was a little light on substance.

But as always, it was good to see Yusuf ... I only wish it was surrounding happier circumstances.

Hey, let's all go to London

-jen.

I am hoping that I can get to london sometime next year. I also wish I could have seen Yusuf under happy circumstances. But right now, it is so important that 'Mes Amis' stand by him.

Peace,Vivian

[Chris]

I just finished watching it after having to to tape it earlier. I thought Yusuf came off very good, the program show him in a nice light. But I am with Jen, I wish they had gone a little more indepth. But all in all it was a favorable interview.

I felt very sad at the end of the program as well. I can't blame Yusuf for his hurt feelings, or if he decides never to visits the states again.

Jen, I am with you in going to London!

[Vivian]

Lets try to make this London visit a group thing.

Peace,Vivian

[kareema113]

I didn't find it light on substance at all. In fact, as a Muslim, I saw new sparks to extinguish.

Didn't you notice that in the segue leading into Br Yusuf's segment there were 2 photos of him looking over the anchors' shoulders, so to speak?

On the left was the Teaser and the Firecat still of Cat Stevens looking serenely directly into the camera. On the right was a photo of Br Yusuf with furrowed brow casting a sidelong glance.

The subliminal message I got was "Look at this youthful, innocent troubadour of yesteryear. He has nothing to hide. Now look at him today. He looks worn and tired. Why are his eyes averted now? Can we really trust what we are about to hear him say?"

I am definitely not amused. 20/20 had its pick of current closeups from its own interview to echo the Teaser shot.

Please note that we did not get to actually see Br Yusuf refuse to answer the Palestinian suicide bomber question, which is like comparing apples to oranges with 9/11 and the Russian school tragedy anyway. Instead we saw shots of blood and ambulances. 20/20 also asserted that there were 2 incidences in which Br Yusuf was refused entry into Israel? One was during the filming of BTM. When was the other one?

Can one of you with video capture please identify the name of the organization for whose fundraiser Br Yusuf allegedly spoke in 1998?

If one of you could send the alleged Canadian government document shot to me, I would really aprreciate it.

pick up the pieces,
kareema

[Chris]

Kareema, I agree with you about Elizabeths bringing up the Palistenian/Israeli situation. But hopefully, people will understand after all he is Muslim, and will sympathies with their cause. Hell I am not muslim but I do sympathies, that doesn't make me anymore of a terrorist supporter, than Yusuf is.

As for more indepth, I would have liked to see them place a few more emphasis on the good and decent things Yusuf has done in the past. For example recieving the World Social Award, the 5 Faiths Organization, Nelson Mandelaa' Aids concert.

Yusuf sadly and maybe niavely thinks he is not being political but... just his taking a peaceful stance is political...........and it goes against the Bush agenda.. He is being used as a politcal scapegoat, plain and simple!!

[Vivian]

Christine said:

Kareema, I agree with you about Elizabeths bringing up the Palistenian/Israeli situation. But hopefully, people will understand after all he is Muslim, and will sympathies with their cause. Hell I am not muslim but I do sympathies, that doesn't make me anymore of a terrorist supporter, than Yusuf is.

As for more indepth, I would have liked to see them place a few more emphasis on the good and decent things Yusuf has done in the past. For example recieving the World Social Award, the 5 Faiths Organization, Nelson Mandelaa' Aids concert.

Yusuf sadly and maybe niavely thinks he is not being political but... just his taking a peaceful stance is political...........and it goes against the Bush agenda.. He is being used as a politcal scapegoat, plain and simple!!

That's why I mentioned the world social award in my letter to the editor. I'm sorry I forgot to mention the Nelson Mandella concert. How else can we show Yusuf our support. I'm willing to try anything.

[trouble]

im glad we are talking about this. I got very upset when Yusuf was asked over and over about what and where his charity dollars go. Now I for one donate $ to things, what I am told and where the $ go who knows??

I do think a man in his standing might wish to invastagate in where he spends his $, as his name will always be "cat stevens" "the man who wrote peace trane"! Press will never let him be.

There's only so far one can go looking into where you money goes. Paper can hide many things. Being the man he is, when he hears children or harmless souls are in the mix, he will try to help. If that meaning $'s. why second guess it?

Press has to get off his back , see the good. Why not look into where everyone donates money. Will they put ~us~ on TV or not let us fly. This is a give me a break if I ever hear !!!
~jamie~
trouble
rambling on and on

[Chris]

Very well said Jamie!

[kareema113]

Kareema, I agree with you about Elizabeths bringing up the Palistenian/Israeli situation. But hopefully, people will understand after all he is Muslim, and will sympathies with their cause. Hell I am not muslim but I do sympathies, that doesn't make me anymore of a terrorist supporter, than Yusuf is.

I agree wholeheartedly. This is the kind of double entendre that the media specializes in. I think that the interview was light on the type of information that you would like to have seen because it wasn't meant to defend him, but rather to raise doubts in the guise of letting him have his say.

Yes, we did see his earnestness, however that really doesn't mean anything to John Q Public. I wonder whether he was able to see the finished piece before it was broadcast.

I would summarize the content of the segment thus:
Yusuf Islam is a man who we knew as an A-list pop star in the 70s. He joined, as Br Yusuf said, a 'secret' religion and abruptly abandoned the Western world. Now he might well be a terrorist, or at least a man with terrorist ties. But perhaps he will change his ways now and return to the man we once knew because he says he plays the guitar again.

Let me repeat: I am not amused.

Yusuf sadly and maybe niavely thinks he is not being political but... just his taking a peaceful stance is political...........and it goes against the Bush agenda.. He is being used as a politcal scapegoat, plain and simple!!

I think 'naively' may be the key word here. I don't understand how a man who has spent 25 years in the Muslim world community can honestly say that he did not know who Hamas was until he was accused of contributing to their cause unless he is indeed naive. A well known Muslim moderate scholar, Yusuf Al Qaradawi, is also on the no-fly list. According to my husband the journalist, it is because he does not believe the the Palestinian suicide/martyr bombings are forbidden, as is the case with the 9/11 and Russian school attacks. After seeing the 20/20 interview, it appears to me that this is the same tack which is being taken with Br Yusuf.

peace,
kareema

[hummingbird]

Very good points Kareema. I too noticed the use of a lot of visual imagery that would make Yusuf appear to be less of a moderate. It's old footage and most of us recognize it as such. But the uninitiated can't put this stuff into the proper chronological perspective.

I've had a night to sleep on it. Overall I was unimpressed. The piece was way too edited and yeah had a certain subtle slant to it. It focused too much on the controversy in his life and NOT enough on the very consistent positive aspects: his work in education and charity.

-jen.

[Bootmiester]

What people tend to have forgotten is Yusuf actually donated royalties to the 9/11 fund. Hypocrisy from the powers that be in USA?
Yusuf is a pacifist and a man of charity. Better keep him in the UK
Oversensitive and unjustified case of bolting the stable door after the horse has bolted!
Bigotry or abuse of power, take your pick!

A man who wrote words as in the quote below must be a threat to the national security the USA (NOT)

[cristalina]

I wish I could have seen this programme Does anyone know if its available online anywhere?

[trouble]

you might be able to go to cbs.com,.. Do they still sell transcriptions of shows??

Sorry you missed it as well , it was wonderful to see Yusuf. Tho he did look sad,hurt,inawe....

I did read in one artical , how he was held from his daughter for something like 33 hours. FUNNY how he didn't try and belittle anyone and fault them about that!!!! As to me it just goes to show how BIG of a man he is!

If that me and all, damn stright I'd have made a case outta that!
sorry
~jamie~
trouble

[Vivian]

Seeing Yusuf so hurt and broken up still haunts me. I doubt I could ever get over this. I just wish I could do more to help him.

Peace,Vivian

[kareema113]

A man who wrote words as in the quote below must be a threat to the national security the USA (NOT)“..."I’LL TELL YOU EVERYTHING I’VE LEARNT, AND LOVE IS ALL, HE SAID”

You all saw what Jon Stewart said in that clip from "The Daily Show", which is not an actual news program at all, but rather a spoof.

"There was a major breakthrough today in the War on Terror. We finally got the guy who wrote 'Peace Train'!!!"


Or how about this:

peace,
kareema

[Lucy13]

I still say I'd like to see Charlie Rose host an in-depth interview with Yusuf. Now that would be one good show! I think Yusuf would probably feel more at home with someone like Charlie. I just betcha. And I don't think Charlie Rose is looking for controversy or sensationalism.

Oh yeah... and something about the way Elizabeth Vargas said, "are you OK?" -- just before Y broke down -- seemed a bit..... um... patronizing. Almost like she was looking for it. (you know how when you say something like this in that tone of voice to someone who's tearing up, it prompts them to cry? Well, it happens to me all the time.) Trying to be another Barbara Walters, eh?

I hope Y's feeling happier this week!

[tree]

yusuf brought the mother out of the interviewer........

are you all right?

tree

[Lucy13]

Boo HOOOO....
sniff sniff...

(I'm OK... really.. I'll be all right)

[trouble]

im thinking... (look out)
Do you guys think , when they tell Yusuf WHY...
We might find out as well?
peace and love light
~jamie~
trouble

[hummingbird]

I was surprised to hear he was doing another interview with Elisabeth Vargas. I didn't think he was pleased with how the interview he gave her in 2000 had been presented.

Funny Lucy and Tree about the "are you okay" question. Yeah, I think she inched him over the edge with those big brown compassionate eyes of hers. That must be an interviewer's dream...to get your interviewee to break down.

Awww poor Yusuf. He may still have been over tired and overwhelmed when that interview was filmed. Hopefully he's feeling stronger now.

-jen.

[Vivian]

trouble said:

im thinking... (look out)
Do you guys think , when they tell Yusuf WHY...
We might find out as well?
peace and love light
~jamie~
trouble

Somehow, I don't think Yusuf will ever find out, because there is nothing TO find out, since this is all about politics.

[hummingbird]

LadyD said:

EV may be a bit of a snake in the grass!!!

Could be Jill!

She seems to have a nice repoire with him on air. But if she has a hand in the editing and the overall presentation of the program, then I'd definately say she's a shrewd cookie! Her 20/20 pieces always sell Yusuf short.

-jen.

[CATFAN56]

Vivian said:

I just posted on the Yusuf forum. The end made me burst into tears. I felt every bit of Yusuf's pain. He is so hurt.

Peace,Vivian

UNFORTUNELY THE NEWS MEDIA IS IRREPARLY BIAS
ESPECIALLY TO YUSUF SINCE HE CONVERT TO ISLAM.
THEY DON'T WANT TO ADMIT OR ACKNOWLEDGE THAT
YUSUF IS AN GOOD MAN . ALL THEY WANT TO DO IS
MAKE MONEY ON THE BLOOD OF GOOD PEOPLE LIKE YUSUF. THEY WILL ULTIMATELY REALIZE THEIR
GREAT WRONG AGAINST HIM.
CATFAN56

[boneheadedwoman]

Vivian said:

Somehow, I don't think Yusuf will ever find out, because there is nothing TO find out, since this is all about politics.

Yes, I'm sure eventually he will be removed from the list, with no explanation ever given.

[Vivian]

boneheadedwoman said:

Yes, I'm sure eventually he will be removed from the list, with no explanation ever given.

Well, lets get Bush out of office. That's will be a good start into getting Yusuf off that list-which I am still sick to my stomach over.

[trouble]

i beg you all ! PLEASE VOTE!!!!!!!!!

or bush will
tell us when to live
or tell us when to die
he's not made me laugh, but i know he's made me cry!

peace ( of mind)
~jamie~
trouble