Cat Stevens Can't Come Here.

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Yesterday, the Bush minions denied Cat Stevens entry into the US. It seems his name turned up on one of the "watch lists." How dangerous can this man be? Dangerous enough to have the plane diverted 600 miles to, of all places, Bangor Maine. Once, there the other passengers were separated and "allowed" to go about their way. Such dramatics. Perhaps the Bushies were afraid he would play a song.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&e=3&u=/nm/20040923/ts_nm/security_stevens_dc

For Bush, it's another example of freedom on the march...right past America...and into the sunset.

 

Is there any reaction from the responsibles yet? Perhaps we should wait until they say something stupid - which they undoubtly will. THEN we can shake our heads even more, eh?

 

Apparantly, one's name is enough to get you landed on the blacklist. While Cat Stevens doesn't sound terribly threatening, "Yusef Islam" does, for obvious reasons. Ridiculous. Makes you wonder how many other people have been improperly detained or deported but weren't lucky enough to be famous.

Even the Bush supporters have to admit that when 70's folk singers are getting deported for having goofy names, and people who actually ARE known terrorists are allowed a free pass just so Bush can sure up a few thousand extra Cuban-American votes in Florida, something's pretty screwed up here.

 

Perhaps it has something to do with this ?

 

From Pacman's link -

Hmmm. Interesting. This still doesn't excuse the Cubans, but if this is true - damn. Can anyone else varify this? I wonder if a source other than PopMatters has more on this.

 

Well, it's impossible to tell why US security did what they did, but to me it's obvious that Cat has a few screws loose.

Never knew that that's a legal reason to deny a person entry though.

 

I cant verify it but I ahve heard it from other sources too. Even so I wonder what relevance that has? Saying unpopular things may be illegal in Iran but is it in the US?

 

And you would say they should allow this person special entry because he is famous? Sure, he's not going to harm anyone, far from it, but you can't deny someone for one reason then not deny someone when they possess those same traits, it's unjust. He's not a political figure/diplomat so no special treatment should be awarded. It's a shame that such a decent person has become mixed up in this mess but making exceptions will only lead to more exceptions.

"I am but a simple farmer wishing to join my family and enjoy the hospitality of your fine country. You let Cat Stevens/Yusef Islam into your nation, why not me?" Seven days later... "A simple Islamic farmer who was allowed entry several days ago drove a bus full of explosives into the 'Luxor' Casino-Hotel in Vegas killing thousands of people."

A little extreme perhaps but American 'Intelligence' has proven it isn't very in the past. Background checks don't reveal malicious intent.

It's a shame he can't enter the country, he's a brilliant, caring and wonderful man but that doesn't make him above the law.

 

Salman Rushdie is a special case for "saying unpopular things". If a guy is in hiding with bodyguards 24/7 because Iran has put a price and fatwa on his head, suggesting you approve of his imminent death is mighty suspicious.

Giving cash to HAMAS ain't minor, either. Its budget is fungible, so money meant for its (admittedly helpful) love-thy-neighbor social programs flows right into its kill-thy-neighbor terrorism.

Suppose an American pop star said publicly that French journalists deserved to be beheaded because of the veil ban, sent cash to Iraqi insurgents, and then arranged to fly into Charles de Gaulle. I think the French might be a li'l sensitive, non?

I don't think it's unjustified paranoia to worry about a Muslim that publicly and financially supports Shi'a vigilantism and terrorism taking a flight straight to the American capital.

Nor is this out-of-control paranoia. How many other flights have been redirected or delayed? The number isn't zero, but it isn't very many, either. Authorities are usually pret' judicious with such, as Chandos writes, "dramatics".

(Here's an oh-so-thin justification from a rightwing site. Not terribly convincing that the guy was convictingly terrible, just that he chose his friends poorly.)

[ September 24, 2004, 05:17: Message edited by: Grey Magistrate ]

 

Come on, guys. It's fairly well known that the Saudi Royal Family has done the same things. But they got to have dinner at the prez's dude ranch in Crawford, Texas. Gimme a break.

Yes, it usually happens when Shrub needs a little bounce (from the fear factor) in the polls. Like all those silly codes they have when Bush wants America to "focus" on the "war on terror."

 

Hey, come on, these guys are Bush's business partners ! They have in the past funded his companies! You can't expect him to treat them like they are ordinary terrorists!

And yes, I'm not a fan of Bush either

 

Well, they SHOULD be treated as common terrorists, businesspartner or no. Who needs enemies with friends like that ?