YOU WILL NEED BROADBAND - Where Do The Children Play  

  Cat Stevens

Cat Stevens, was born Stephen Demetre Georgiou, on Wednesday July 21st, during 1948. His father was a Greek Cypriot and his mother was from Sweden. The youngest of three siblings, he grew up living above his parents' restaurant in London's West End. He is now known as Yusuf Islam, subject to some controversy, after converting to being a Muslim.

Yusuf tells us that the first quandary in his life was being born of mixed race, taking his father's religion of an Orthodox Greek, and being sent to a strict English Roman Catholic Church School. Because of this he felt that he should not take part in any of the, albeit Christian,  religious rituals at school, he instead looked at the people and their corollary with religions, not the religion itself. 

Because of this unique outlook, he learned about good and bad from his own perspective and not those of ancient scriptures. His parents were very open-minded and considered that a Catholic school might give him character. Someone once said who went to a convent, that when anyone was punished, usually by a burly Nun with a stick, it would not stop until the victim cried. It was good for character, and this religion left a unforgettable impression on him.

Nevertheless,  Stephen Georgiou treated good and bad with a subjective predilection, and considered morality above legality, but also at the same time trying to be reasonable. His metamorphous to become Cat Stevens was just another stage in his life cycle.

It was as a world famous young man that an illness that nearly took his life made him reflect on his own mortality. And whilst he had sought some deep philosophical meaning in his songs, he realised that perhaps they were perhaps superfluous when dealing with real life situations. This ignited thoughts in him that was to bring about the next stage of his life-cycle.

In 1977, nine years after his near visit with God, he did what many fear to do, he chose his own religion and converted to the Muslim faith of Islam.  And as is the usual practice he changed his name, to the Arabic form of  Joseph submitting to God, or Yusuf Islam.

 

Over a billion people from all races, nationalities and cultures across the globe are Muslim. Islam today refers to the final form of the Religion of God taught by the final prophet, Muhammad (pbuh). It is often counted as the last of the three monotheistic faiths: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. All three religions share a common stock of prophets and messengers with the teachings of the great patriarch Abraham having particular importance. In this sense, Islam is not a new religion but a culmination of the same basic truth that God revealed through all His prophets to all the nations of the earth.

From Yusuf Islam  

Al-Qaeda is an Moslem organisation of Islamic militants that has declared "holy war" on Americans, Jews, Christians and their allies. It is blamed for the 11 September attacks on the US and for others around the world, and is led by Saudi-born dissident Osama Bin Laden. Experts say that since the Afghanistan war in 2001, al-Qaeda has split into a very loosely-knit network of groups. Others say it has become an ideology and inspiration for a certain type of virulent anti-Western militancy. As London reels from a coordinated bomb attack on its transport system, questions are quickly being asked about possible connections to the wave of violence linked to the Islamic al-Qaeda around the world in recent years. 

Bismillah is the opening word in the Qu'ran - Koran and literally means  - In the name of Allah.

Scaramouch  -   according to some dictionaries it means, A thrasonical bystander - one who is a boastful coward.

Beelzebub - is one of the many names given to The Devil.

Koran (or Quran) The sacred scripture of Islam. According to tradition, the divine revelations given to Mohammed (d. 632 AD) were kept by his followers and collected as the Koran under the third caliph (spiritual leader), Uthman (d. 656). The Koran is one of the bases of Islamic law. Muslims believe that the revelations exist complete in a heavenly book, which contains all that has happened and will happen.

Islam - Arabic: submission to God    -   A world religion, started in Arabia in the 7th century AD, the main belief of which is that there is just one God, Allah, and no other God exists. Mohammed is his prophet. The Koran, the basis of Islamic belief, and its legal and social system  -  the Islamic law, records Mohammed’s revelations. Followers of Islam, called Muslims, have six main duties: total belief in Allah and Mohammed; observance at set times of five daily prayers; fasting during Ramadan; payment of a tax for charity; and a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once; to convert ( or kill ) all non-believers of Islam. The main sects are the Sunnites (or Sunni) and the Shiites (or Shiah). There are an estimated 700 million Muslims.   

© Adolf Kolblocos 2000 - Prof. Antwerp University 

     But tell me, where do the children play?  

Terms | Earthlights| Terraforming | LINKS| Pop| Dogs | Contact_Us

Terms of Site

CONTACT US  /  ANY QUESTIONS