BREAKING: Cat Stevens Slams U.S. Deportation

t r u t h o u t - BREAKING: Cat Stevens Slams U.S. Deportation: " Cat Stevens Slams U.S. Deportation
Reuters
Thursday 23 September 2004
LONDON - Muslim convert and former pop star Cat Stevens returned to Britain on Thursday after his deportation from the U.S. over 'potential' terrorism links sparked an Anglo-American diplomatic row.
'The whole thing is totally ridiculous,' Stevens said on arrival at London's Heathrow airport. 'Half of me wants to smile, half of me wants to growl.'
UK Muslim leaders were outraged. 'The United States is shutting down its house, building walls around itself,' said Anas Altikriti, spokesman for the Muslim Association of Britain.
Stevens, 56, was traveling with his daughter on a United Airlines flight on Tuesday from London to Washington when American officials diverted it 600 miles to Bangor, Maine.
They said he was denied entry to the U.S. because his activities could be linked to terrorism.
The deportation of Stevens, known as Yusuf Islam since he stopped singing and became a Muslim almost three decades ago, led Foreign Secretary Jack Straw to complain personally to Secretary of State Colin Powell at the United Nations.
Straw 'expressed concern that this action should not have been taken,' a Foreign Office spokesman said.
'It's crazy,' Stevens added as he was mobbed by reporters at Heathrow. 'Everybody knows me from my charitable work and now there has to be explanations, but I'm glad to be home.'
Asked if he felt victimized, Stevens said: 'Absolutely. But you know, for God's sake people make mistakes. I just hope they have made a big mistake.
'I wasn't handcuffed or anything like that. They treated me very well. The one positive thing I can say is that a lot of security officers are very pleased because they got my autograph."