November 13, 2006

Cat Stevens (Yusuf Islam) Sings Praises of Taliban?

A reader dropped this link in the comments. It is supposed to be Cat Stevens (aka, Yusuf Islam) singing the praises of the Taliban in Afghanistan.

You can listen to it by clicking here. It's called Afghanistan: The Land of Islam.

I'd love for somebody to debunk it. I just don't have the time right now for extensive Google searching. The brief Google search that I did seems to indicate that Yusuf Islam really did write and perform the song about 'the land of the free'....you know, Taliban Afghanistan.

I want to believe that Cat Stevens is just a dupe who didn't really support terrorism. That he's like the millions of Muslims around the world that gives to charities and doesn't really know that the money is going to terrorists.

Of course, since audio of Omar Bakri Mohammed claiming that Yusuf Islam used to associate himself with convicted terror master mind Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman, and that he used to send money to the families of the 'Mujahidin", it's becoming harder and harder to believe that.

Hat tip: The Welsh Witch

UPDATE: Yusuf Islam's new album comes out today.

UPDATE II: I've done some more Google searching. From what I gather, the song was written by Yusuf Islam, but never recorded by him. Also, at least one Islamic website claims the Islam wrote the piece after the invasion of Afghanistan by the Soviet Union.

So, giving him the benefit of the doubt, the mujahidin that he is praising are anti-Soviets, ie our former allies. Some of whom became the Northern Alliance....others, well, you know who they became-

Here are the words to the song:

Afghanistan Land of Islam
Afghanistan Land of Islam
Afghanistan Land of Islam
Afghanistan Land of Islam
Afghanistan Laa ilaha illa Allah
Muhammadur Rasul Allah
Alaihi Assalatullah

Oh the people are dying,
They're willing to give
Every drop of their blood
For the freedom to live

Oh the people are dying
To get back their land
And the home of their fathers
Who died for Islam
And the home of their fathers
Who died for Islam

Afghanistan Land of Islam
Afghanistan Land of Islam
Afghanistan Land of Islam
Afghanistan Land of Islam
Afghanistan Laa ilaha illa Allah
Muhammadur Rasul Allah
Alaihi Assalatullah

There's five million homeless
Over one million dead
How can the world go to sleep
With injustice out there

Oh the orphans are crying
It's loud and it's clear
For the ones who have heart
For the ones who can hear
For the ones who have heart
For the ones who can hear

Afghanistan Land of Islam
Afghanistan Land of Islam
Afghanistan Land of Islam
Afghanistan Land of Islam
Afghanistan Laa ilaha illa Allah
Muhammadur Rasul Allah
Alaihi Assalatullah

Yaa Muslimun, Yaa Muslimun
Yaa Muslimun, Yaa Muslimun

Oh victory's coming
And history'll tell
Cause the disbelieving army
Is heading for Hell
And Paradise belongs
To the pious and firm
Who say "To God we belong
And to Him we return"
We say "To God we belong
And to Him we return"

Afghanistan Land of Islam
Afghanistan Land of Islam
Afghanistan Land of Islam
Afghanistan Land of Islam
Afghanistan Laa ilaha illa Allah
Muhammadur Rasul Allah
Alaihi Assalatullah

Yaa Muslimun, Yaa Muslimun
Yaa Muslimun, Yaa Muslimun
Yaa Muslimun, Yaa Muslimun