INSANE: CAT STEVENS PERFORMS AT 'RESTORING SANITY' RALLY

Billed as the 'Restoring Sanity' rally, comedians Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert actually provided a venue that only served to further INsanity. Case in point is who performed there - none other than the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens, Yusuf Islam. In 1989, Islam called for the death of British author Salman Rushdie, whose book at the time 'Satanic Verses' garnered a call for this death, courtesy of the Ayatollah Khomeini.

Courtesy of Hot Air, check out this video from 1989 in which Yusuf Islam went on the record with his views. The added irony is that Islam played the song 'Peace Train' at the 'Restoring Sanity' rally.



Here is Salman Rushdie in 2007 writing about Yusuf Islam / Cat Stevens via the Telegraph:

Cat Stevens wanted me dead.

However much Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam may wish to rewrite his past, he was neither misunderstood nor misquoted over his views on the Khomeini fatwa against The Satanic Verses (Seven, April 29).

In an article in The New York Times on May 22, 1989, Craig R Whitney reported Stevens/Islam saying on a British television programme "that rather than go to a demonstration to burn an effigy of the author Salman Rushdie, 'I would have hoped that it'd be the real thing'.''

He added that "if Mr Rushdie turned up at his doorstep looking for help, 'I might ring somebody who might do more damage to him than he would like. I'd try to phone the Ayatollah Khomeini and tell him exactly where this man is'.''

In a subsequent interview with The New York Times, Mr Whitney added, Stevens/Islam, who had seen a preview of the programme, said that he "stood by his comments".

Let's have no more rubbish about how "green" and innocent this man was.
Salman Rushdie, New York

There was something very disturbing about this performance... An added touch of irony - as if you needed one - was Ozzie Osbourne singing 'Crazy Train' at a 'Restoring Sanity' rally.