Yusuf Islam's statement
Yusuf Islam departs an airplane at Dulles airport in Washington DC. |
First, I thank God for relieving me of my ordeal and delivering me home safe; also, thanks to all those who prayed for me and supported me through this whole dark episode, from eminent politicians, the press and religious leaders, to plain, everyday people.
Never would I believe that such a thing could happen in the land of the free - unfortunately, it did. But it's warming to have such a wave of sympathy from my friends and my worldwide well-wishers.
After the experience of my dramatic deportation from the USA it feels like I am on a different planet from the one I was on a couple of days ago; certainly the world has changed, not for the best.
Two days beforehand, I had started a journey with my daughter to Nashville, intending to initiate work on a new recording project. Suddenly, our aeroplane was diverted 600 miles to Bangor International Airport and I found myself surrounded by six uniformed officers and handed over to the FBI for questioning.
The most upsetting thing at this point was being separated from my daughter, Maymanah, not knowing how she was or when and where we might be united.
And since my phone was confiscated I couldn't contact my family (nor could they ring me) and they were relegated to watching the whole frightening episode on TV and surviving on scraps of information shown by the media.
My interrogators repeatedly wanted to know how my name was spelt; it sounded to me as though they had it mixed up with someone else's. Security officers finally told me that my name was on a no-fly list, I was classified as inadmissible and sent back to London.
The amazing thing is that I was not given, and have still not been given, any explanation whatsoever as to what it is I am accused of, or why I am now deemed an apparent security threat - let alone given an opportunity to respond to these allegations. I was simply told that the order had come from on high.
We have now initiated a legal process to try to find out exactly what is going on, and to take all necessary steps to undo the very serious, and wholly unfounded, injustice which I have suffered.
I am a man of peace and denounce all forms of terrorism and injustice; it is simply outrageous for the US authorities to suggest otherwise.
I have dedicated my life to promoting peace and understanding throughout the world. It would be devastating were the charity work I do through my humanitarian relief organisation, Small Kindness, which helps countless children and families, and which is accredited by the United Nations, to be undermined by what has happened.
What makes the situation even more distressing is the fact that I have now been prevented from entering the United States - a part of God's earth that I love and whose people have always been great friends to me.
Yet, after all this, I can think of no better response than by continuing what I believe to be the tremendously important work of caring for the needy and campaigning for peace and stability in this volatile and increasingly violent world, and at the same time try to seek to clear my name of this appalling and baseless slur.
In the meantime I am confident that, in the end, good sense and, above all, justice, will prevail.
Related Suggestions
RE: brother Yusuf
Do not be hurt by this unjustified act. It is meerly a sign of your true acceptance by your lord.
A seed has to endure the weight of the earth before it can bloom into a fruitfull tree, by which the creation will surely benefit from.
may allah bless all muslims and people of peace. i am feel disheartened at what has happened to the peaceful and wonderful brother Yusuf Islam. i hope that one day soon this country and all other countries around the world will come to the realization that the true religion of islam is peaceful, tolerant, and loving. May allah guide us all onto the right path.
What has happened to you is nothing in comparison to what is happening to untold other innocent Muslims all over the world. It is so sad that it happened to you in a "civilized" country. I know of your case because you are a well-known person in the world so, media reported it. Countless others are being denied their rights, dignity, and honor and no one knows about their cases.
But, please do fight for your rights, dignity, and honor. You are in a better position to do so. Mr. Blair, Prime Minister of your country help. He is a leader of the "civilized" world trying to correct wrong in other places. He has influence and power. He knows influential people. Does he care about honorable people of his country? Thank you very much for sharing your experiences with us. May God protect you and keep you safe and sound and give wisdom to the rest of the world to be just, kind, caring, and compassionate
I sure hope to see you soon in a public gathering and off course listen to the beautiful songs.
day that Mr. Islam will play his songs for us in Israel and in a
free and prosperous Palestine with out walls, check points, or
my kids in army uniforms.
The news of Brother Yusuf Islam has left me in shock from the moment I heard the news till this very second. Brother Islam lives and promotes Islam in a form that even those of Muslim birth in some cases can't live up to. A true reflection of the Qur'an and the Prophet's Sunnah, Brother Islam has promoted much relief and aid to many of the war-torn nations in a very corrupt and dangerous world... And most importantly, he is a man of Islam, therefore he is a man of PEACE.
Subhan'Allah, I wonder if there deporting all the Yusufs' in the country for the crime of being Muslim.......May Allah grant his peace to Brother Yusuf as well as the Ummah and every decent person thats out there
It is a shame to see people like Br. Yusuf Islam turned away from here who has been an inspiration for the peaceloving people.
Beyond pursuing petty objectives, we might perhaps consider blinding ourselves, in order to become less concerned about crushing the innocent among our enemies. Such self-inflicted blindness however would merely leave us less able to locate our enemies - were it not that our resulting clumsiness would invariably create considerably more enemies for us to locate. In the final analysis, perhaps more insight would prove superior to less insight. Who knows?