Whether it's your first Bonnaroo or you’re a music festival veteran, we welcome you to Inforoo.
Here you'll find info about artists, rumors, camping tips, and the infamous Roo Clues. Have a look around then create an account and join in the fun. See you at Bonnaroo!!
We treat mishaps like sinking ships and I know that I don't want to be out to drift Well I can see it in your eyes like I taste your lips and They both tell me that we're better than this
i was wondering this too... that would make me pretty happy, but i feel like it probably would have been in the initial lineup if it was going to happen
Yeah, I was one of the guys who had a problem with him at Bonnaroo. A while back Salman Rushdie wrote a book that muslim people felt was sacrilege, and Yusuf basically said he supported the assassination of Rushdie then he backtracked and said he only would have some friends of his beat him up then he backtracked again and said he understood why people would want Rushdie assassinated.
I know the guys done great charity work and I applaud him for that, but artists need to stick together. Wishing death upon someone else because they offend you is not cool in my book to begin with, but for an artist to do that to another artist, I don't get it.
ya religion sucks. but i dont think it should exclude him from roo. not if matisyahu can play multiple years. i mean that guys religion dosent allow women to play music, sing, or do any type of entertaining. hes a musician that bans his daughter from playing music. wtf??? thats sad. so i say yusuf said something he shouldnt and he apologized. hed be a step up from matisyahu. and its much better music too!!
Last Edit: Feb 23, 2007 14:02:09 GMT -5 by Dude - Back to Top
Post by gogogajoob on Feb 23, 2007 15:57:26 GMT -5
dudezer47 said:
Yeah, I was one of the guys who had a problem with him at Bonnaroo. A while back Salman Rushdie wrote a book that muslim people felt was sacrilege, and Yusuf basically said he supported the assassination of Rushdie then he backtracked and said he only would have some friends of his beat him up then he backtracked again and said he understood why people would want Rushdie assassinated.
I know the guys done great charity work and I applaud him for that, but artists need to stick together. Wishing death upon someone else because they offend you is not cool in my book to begin with, but for an artist to do that to another artist, I don't get it.
To clarify: That was in the late 80s, it got blown way out of proportion, and in recent interviews he seems to really regret it and claims that he was confused at the time.
But i don't think he does any live performances unless they're for a benefit or something.
yeah i suggested this about a month or two ago, and started the whole "terrorist" argument. won't re-hash that whole thing again, but bottom line is i think he'd be a fantastic addition to 'roo.
To clarify: That was in the late 80s, it got blown way out of proportion, and in recent interviews he seems to really regret it and claims that he was confused at the time.
Well, he's never really apologized for what he said, just that he said it. Further, I think it's easy for us to shrug something like that off, but the fact is muslim intellectuals are consistantly under threat of death and many of the brightest minds in that region have been snuffed out by hardline groups. It's like Pat Robertson calling for the assassination of Hugo Chavez only even less justified.
Post by oatmealschnappz on Feb 24, 2007 2:32:01 GMT -5
Saying that you're sorry after calling for someone's assasination isn't EVER going to be good enough in my opinon! Think what you think and feel what you feel but, you'll never be able to regain my respect after publicly condoning the murder of someone with a different religious view-point! It doesn't matter if it was in the '80s or if you later say that you "may have spoken without clarity"! This fanaticly fascist mindset, not only has no place at Bonnaroo but, totally negates anything he may have once stood for! If we're just supposed to forgive him for this extremist bullsh*t, shouldn't we also offer warm invitations to ScrewDriver, RaHoWa and Agnostic Front? The fact that people have the nerve to try and defend his outrageously hateful statements, makes me sick! He called for the murder of someone that disagreed with him! There is no possible way to justify something like that! The fact that he just back-peddled after "we" disapproved, just weakens any belief that a rational, intelligent person could have regarding his apology! "oh, my bad...he shouldn't be killed!" is the most ridiculous thing aperson could EVER say! Does anyone really believe that he would have changed his public stance if his statements didn't catch the international communities eye? He is religious fanatic, pure and simple! The only difference is that people want to give him more crediblity because of who he used to be.....and that only makes him more dangerous!
*And yes, Matisyahu may be an overly masoganistic jerk-off but, he has never called for any female musicians to be murdered! Both are as*holes but, you simply can't compare them!
Last Edit: Feb 24, 2007 2:57:17 GMT -5 by oatmealschnappz - Back to Top
Post by gogogajoob on Feb 27, 2007 19:54:12 GMT -5
I pretty much agree with all of you, i'd love to see him as he was a big part of my childhood and i just think that thoose of you who are criticizing him are just misinformed.
This guy lives a very modest lifestyle and is a huge philanthropist. If you go to the store and buy a Cat Stevens album 100% of Yusuf's royalties goes to charity. And not just muslim charitites, he also regularly contributes to famine and aids in africa. He's not a 'religious fanatic', he converted to Islam of his own free will, and i'm pretty sure he's even met with the Pope to discuss religion and worked with the UN. After 9/11 he was one of the first muslims to condemn the attacks. You just can't call this guy an asshole if you know anything about him.
As for the Salman Rushdie incident once again you need to understand the context. Yusuf was not angry with Rushdie's beliefs (Rushdie is also Muslim), but with his 1988 book "The Satanic Verses". Most Muslim people found this book extremely offensive when it came out. The book essentially implied that Muhammad decieved people into believing in Islam, did Satan's bidding for a little while and had a penchant for hookers. This is not some danish cartoon, it's essentially a book that criticizes someone else's beliefs. If someone wrote the same thing about Jesus there would be a lot of angry Christians. Naturally Yusuf Islam was angry, but he never called for Rushdie's death he only explained to some university students why it was being called for by the real religious fanatics. It should also be noted that Rushdie has apoligized for the book many times.
In Islam's own words from a Rolling Stone interview: "I'm very sad that this seems to be the No. 1 question people want to discuss. I had nothing to do with the issue other than what the media created. I was innocently drawn into the whole controversy. So, after many years, I'm glad at least now that I have been given the opportunity to explain to the public and fans my side of the story in my own words. At a lecture, back in 1989, I was asked a question about blasphemy according to Islamic Law, I simply repeated the legal view according to my limited knowledge of the Scriptural texts, based directly on historical commentaries of the Qur'an. The next day the newspaper headlines read, "Cat Says, Kill Rushdie." I was abhorred, but what could I do? I was a new Muslim. If you ask a Bible student to quote the legal punishment of a person who commits blasphemy in the Bible, he would be dishonest if he didn't mention Leviticus 24:16."
From his website: "I never called for the death of Salman Rushdie; nor backed the Fatwa issued by the Ayatollah Khomeini - and still don’t. The book itself destroyed the harmony between peoples and created an unnecessary international crisis.
When asked about my opinion regarding blasphemy, I could not tell a lie and confirmed that - like both the Torah and the Gospel - the Qur’an considers it, without repentance, as a capital offense. The Bible is full of similar harsh laws if you’re looking for them. However, the application of such Biblical and Qur’anic injunctions is not to be outside of due process of law, in a place or land where such law is accepted and applied by the society as a whole..."
There's much more to read about all this if anyone is interested, and i completely understand the position that one should not criticize free speech or other people's beliefs, i just think that you folks who think he's a mean person are really misinformed about the whole issue. I just hate to see anyone call Yusuf Islam, possibly one of the nicest people on the planet, an asshole.
Post by oatmealschnappz on Feb 28, 2007 0:02:45 GMT -5
Assuming that everything that i've read is inaccurate and misquoted, I have this to say. If you follow a religion that condones or dictates the murder of dissidents, you advocate murder. Christian, Muslim or Smurf....It doesn't change the fact that you have signed-on to a violently closed-minded belief system. When Cat said that it was an unfortunate aspect of Islamic gospel that he felt obliged to point-out, he was just back-peddling against his chosen religion. I choose not to advocate ANY religion because I, personally, believe that they are all inherently flawed and mean-spirited at their core. People always want to pick and choose what parts on their chosen religious texts they want to represent but, if you truly believe in an infoulable God, you have to take it as a whole....or not at all. You simply can't be semi-devout. Can you? I just feel that if you advocate a moral mindset, you have to represent it in it's entirety. Otherwise, how can anyone ever be expected to respect you, your opinion, or your religion? You also have to consider that giving your monetary proceeds to charity doesn't necessarily make you a good person. Every year groups like Hezbollah give millions of dollars to various charities as another form of sectarian propaganda. You know, the "if we're your friends, they're your enemies" approach wich ultimately ends-up creating more violence and hatred in the long-run. In my opinion, organized religion is the fundamental basis and justification for almost all of mankind's problems. This is just my opinion based on what I know and how I feel. I am not trying to offend anyone and I truly hope that this does not start a pointless, counterproductive "back and forth". That's the last post on this subject from me. Peace.
Last Edit: Feb 28, 2007 0:04:36 GMT -5 by oatmealschnappz - Back to Top
Without getting into the whole religious discussion...I don't think they'll let Yusuf into the country at this point, or maybe he's not eager to be harassed by the guvvies again.
Danny Thompson, who frequently plays bass with him (and who is also a Muslim) will be playing with Richard Thompson's band. (And Richard Thompson is *also* a Muslim...and I think those three guys probably have very different approaches to their faith...but that's a subject better left elsewhere.)
I would love to hear Yusuf do the whole Harold and Maude soundtrack. :^)
Maybe Yusaf, Mastiyahu, Jars Of Clay, and the Pope can do a super jam so amazing that centuries of deep religious strife will finally be healed.
Then all religious texts would add the book of Bonnaroo, and the second weekend of June a worldwide mass pilgrimage would occur, ending at the sacred farm in the holy city of Manchester.
Post by oatmealschnappz on Mar 2, 2007 2:01:02 GMT -5
zaphod7342 said:
Maybe Yusaf, Mastiyahu, Jars Of Clay, and the Pope can do a super jam so amazing that centuries of deep religious strife will finally be healed.
Then all religious texts would add the book of Bonnaroo, and the second weekend of June a worldwide mass pilgrimage would occur, ending at the sacred farm in the holy city of Manchester.
