Ende 1977 konvertierte er zum Islam, nahm seinen heutigen Namen an. [11] He has since bought back at least one of these guitars as a result of the efforts of his son Yoriyos,[12] and left his musical career to devote himself to educational and philanthropic causes in the Muslim community. Yusuf Islam (born Steven Demetre Georgiou; 21 July 1948), commonly known by his stage names Cat Stevens, Yusuf, and Yusuf/Cat Stevens, is a British singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. The following year, "Father and Son" was used in the closing scene of the film Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. He became a Muslim in 1977. What I write about Patti and my family ... when I sing the songs now, I learn strange things. [143][144][145] A record of his travel from Dubai to New York is captured in an episode of the National Geographic Channel television show Ultimate Airport Dubai (season 2, episode 6), first aired in China on 17 January 2015. In 1966, at age 18, he was heard by manager/producer Mike Hurst, formerly of British vocal group the Springfields. [159], On 29 March 2019, Yusuf performed in Christchurch, New Zealand, at the National Remembrance Service for victims of the Christchurch mosque shootings. The lead track, "Thinking 'Bout You", received its debut radio play on a BBC programme on 23 March 2009. Known as TT2, Tea for the Tillerman 2 is a re-imagining and re-recording of the songs from the earlier album,[162] with updated interpretations and arrangements.[163]. Scroll down to read some of the heartfelt tributes and memories shared by John Mayer, Yusuf/Cat Stevens, Joel Cummins, Cory Henry, Jacob Collier, Questlove, … The cup, too, is important; it's a meeting place, a thing meant to be shared. The art on the album is credited to Yoriyos. A Christmas-season television commercial for gift-giving by the diamond industry aired in 2006 with Cat Power's cover of "How Can I Tell You". During that time both wrote songs for and about one another. "Wild World" has been credited as the song that gave Tea for the Tillerman 'enough kick' to get it played on FM radio; and the head of Island Records, Chris Blackwell, was quoted as calling it "the best album we've ever released". In 2003, after repeated encouragement from within the Muslim world,[112] Islam once again recorded "Peace Train" for a compilation CD, which also included performances by David Bowie and Paul McCartney. 35,342 talking about this. Appears on, Sample of "(Remember the Days of the) Old Schoolyard" from, "In Islam there is something called the principle of common good. [134] Said to have been recorded at a studio located within a hundred yards of the site of the Berlin Wall, the song is inspired by a series of popular uprisings in the Arab world, known as the Arab Spring. He was considered a fresh-faced teen star, placing several single releases in the British pop music charts. Stories spread from person to person, whether intentionally or not, the result is that some people are led into thinking I am connected to causes I don’t believe in or subscribe to. In July 2018, Yusuf signed with BMG Rights Management, which will publish his songwriting credits worldwide and distribute nine of his studio albums. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. On 25 September 2020, Yusuf appeared on the BBC's Desert Island Discs show. Islam wrote all of the songs except "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood",[121] and recorded it in the United States and the United Kingdom.[120]. In addition, he invited and collaborated with other Muslim singers, including Canadian artist Dawud Wharnsby. It's kind of a hypnotic state that you reach after a while when you keep on playing it where words just evolve from it. With his deeply felt songs and smouldering good looks, he became the No1 poster boy for bedsit dreamers everywhere. The first single released from Mona Bone Jakon was "Lady D'Arbanville", which Stevens wrote about his young American girlfriend Patti D'Arbanville. [22] Romanisation of Arabic names can easily result in different spellings: the transliteration of Yusuf gives rise to a dozen spellings. As well as the Beatles, other musicians who influenced him were the Kinks,[30] Bob Dylan, Nina Simone, blues artists Lead Belly and Muddy Waters,[31] Biff Rose (particularly Rose's first album), Leo Kottke[27] and Paul Simon. [136], In May 2012, Moonshadow, a new musical featuring music from throughout his career opened at the Princess Theatre in Melbourne, Australia. The Qur'an equates the murder of one innocent person with the murder of the whole of humanity. Mona Bone Jakon was an early example of the solo singer-songwriter album format that was becoming popular for other artists as well. [27] He took a one-year course at Hammersmith School of Art,[28] considering a career as a cartoonist. After hiring agent Barry Krost, who had arranged for an audition with Chris Blackwell of Island Records, Blackwell offered him a "chance to record [his songs] whenever and with whomever he liked and, more importantly to Cat, however he liked". $201.45 $237.00. Forty years after he recorded the first demo of the song, it earned him back-to-back ASCAP "Songwriter of the Year" awards, in 2005 and 2006. Yusuf Islam (born Steven Demetre Georgiou; 21 July 1948), commonly known by his stage names Cat Stevens, Yusuf, and Yusuf/Cat Stevens, is a British singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. On 1 June 2016, Islam shared a new song called "He Was Alone" and its corresponding video. The combination of Stevens' new folk rock style and accessible lyrics which spoke of everyday situations and problems, mixed with the beginning of spiritual questions about life, remained in his music from then on. His answer was that this was actually an other cup; something different; a bridge between the East and West, which he explained was his own perceived role. [68] Izitso included his last chart hit, "(Remember the Days of the) Old Schoolyard", an early synthpop song[66] that used a polyphonic synthesiser; it was a duet with fellow UK singer Elkie Brooks. Cat Stevens Official … [10] Stevens said that West Side Story particularly affected him and gave him a "different view of life". [9] His other hit songs include "Father and Son", "Wild World", "Moonshadow", "Peace Train", and "Morning Has Broken". The tour continued in the UK with shows in Manchester, Glasgow, Newcastle and London. The Adopt-A-Minefield charity, under the patronage of Paul McCartney, works internationally to raise awareness and funds to clear landmines and rehabilitate landmine survivors. [150][151], On 26 July 2016, Islam announced he would be part of the Global Citizen Festival held on 24 September 2016 in Central Park, New York, New York.[152]. [98] According to his statement, the man on the list was named "Youssef Islam", indicating that Islam was not the suspected terrorism supporter. His current stance is that he never supported the fatwa: “I was cleverly framed by certain questions. 35,342 talking about this. Cat Stevens lyrics - 191 song lyrics sorted by album, including "The Adhan (Call To Prayer)", "Wild World", "Father And Son". $46.75 $55.00. His brother's timely gift was quickly absorbed and he was taken with its content, soon beginning his transition and conversion to Islam, which would change forever his private and professional life. Really, it was so fantastic. It's true that I have asked my manager to respectfully request that lady presenters refrain from embracing me when giving awards or during public appearances, but that has nothing to do with my feelings or respect for them. ", Lawsuit over News UK newspaper reports that he had supported terrorism, Lawsuit about allegations that he would not talk to unveiled women. In November 1973 he performed side two of the album at the Aquarius Theater in Hollywood, with a pre-arranged uninterrupted quadraphonic simulcast on the ABC network. Yusuf Islam, por su nombre tras su conversión al islamismo, más conocido por su nombre artístico Cat Stevens (nacido como Steven Demetre Georgiou; Londres, Inglaterra, 21 de julio de 1948), es un cantautor, compositor y multinstrumentista británico. Islam actively promoted this album, appearing on radio, television and in print interviews. In 1979, he auctioned all of his guitars for charity. Simon wrote and recorded at least two Top 50 songs, "Legend in Your Own Time" and "Anticipation" about Stevens. Yusuf/Cat Stevens Re-Records ‘Tea for the Tillerman’ for 50th Anniversary “We knew we were coming up to the 50th birthday of the friendly face, Tillerman,” says Yusuf, “and we … C. Cat Stevens Lyrics. His version of "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" was used on the trailer of the fourth season of the TV series Skam. He performed the songs "Midday (Avoid City After Dark)", "Peace Train", and "Heaven/Where True Love Goes". A spokesman for Homeland Security claimed there were "concerns of ties he may have to potential terrorist-related activities". I got down to thinking about myself. Sold Out. One side of Foreigner was continuous, much different from the radio-friendly pop tunes fans had come to expect. It was intended to show a funk/soul element rising in popularity that Stevens had come to appreciate. In 2006, he returned to pop music – releasing his first new studio album of new pop songs in 28 years, entitled An Other Cup. In May 2003 he received his first Platinum Europe Award from the IFPI for Remember Cat Stevens, The Ultimate Collection, indicating over one million European sales. I learn the meanings of my songs late ..."[53]. [17] In 2017, he released the album The Laughing Apple, now using the stage name Yusuf/Cat Stevens, using the Cat Stevens name for the first time in 39 years. [15] In 2009, he released the album Roadsinger and, in 2014, he released the album Tell 'Em I'm Gone and began his first US tour since 1978. This performance did include his band, but they were all but overshadowed by an orchestra. He also established his own record label, "Jamal Records", and Mountain of Light Productions, and he donates a percentage of his projects' proceeds to his Small Kindness charity, whose name is taken from the Qur'an. Now that I’ve decided to sing again, I’m sure it will attract a whole new wave of articles and allegations to diminish my work for peace and better understanding. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. It went on to become a bold statement of a genre of music; an era that touched the soul with such beauty. He performed "Wild World" in Nelson Mandela's 46664 concert with his earlier collaborator, Peter Gabriel, the first time he had publicly performed in English in 25 years. [52] It is ranked at No. Producer Paul Samwell-Smith paired Stevens with guitarist Alun Davies, who was at that time working as a session musician. Among the songs were "Where Do the Children Play? He appeared in May 2009 at Island Records' 50th Anniversary concert in London. Rolling Stone magazine compared its popularity with that of Elton John's Tumbleweed Connection, saying it was played "across the board, across radio formats". [35], Upon regaining his health at home after his release from the hospital, Stevens recorded some of his newly written songs on his tape recorder and played his changing sound for a few new record executives. He’s a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and his albums have sold millions. I guess it is only now, after all these years, that I've come to fully understand and appreciate what everyone has been asking of me. You can check it out below. Sold Out. While it is still not clear who carried out the attack, it must be stated that no right-thinking follower of Islam could possibly condone such an action. With this performance, Islam began slowly to integrate instruments into both older material from his Cat Stevens era (some with slight lyrical changes) and new songs, both those known to the Muslim communities around the world and some that have the same Western flair from before with a focus on new topics and another generation of listeners.[111]. [11], The lack of success of Stevens' second album mirrored a difference of personal tastes in musical direction and a growing resentment of producer Mike Hurst's attempts to re-create another album like that of his debut, with heavy-handed orchestration, and over-production,[32] rather than the folk rock sound Stevens was attempting to produce. Also in November 2006, Billboard magazine was curious as to why the artist is credited as just his first name, "Yusuf" rather than "Yusuf Islam". In July 1970, Stevens recorded one of his songs, "But I Might Die Tonight", for the Jerzy Skolimowski film Deep End. Tickets for Yusuf’s upcoming American shows read “Yusuf/Cat Stevens” – a concession to fans of his classic albums, and the move of a man who has grown increasingly comfortable with his past. As for why the album sleeve says "the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens", he responded, "That's the tag with which most people are familiar; for recognition purposes I'm not averse to that. He was scheduled to perform at an invitation-only concert at New York City's Highline Ballroom on 3 May 2009[130] and to go on to Los Angeles, Chicago and Toronto, as well as some to-be-announced European venues. [102] He wrote about the experience in a newspaper article entitled "A Cat in a Wild World". Over the years, since becoming a Muslim, I have been accused of saying and doing things I have neither said nor done. Having established a signature sound, Stevens enjoyed a string of successes over the following years. It's as if I've come full circle; however, I have gathered a lot of knowledge on the subject in the meantime. 1937), and a brother, David Gordon. [23] At 15, inspired by the popularity of the Beatles, he became interested in the guitar. Scroll down to read some of the heartfelt tributes and memories shared by John Mayer, Yusuf/Cat Stevens, Joel Cummins, Cory Henry, Jacob Collier, Questlove, and more. Appears on, Sample of "Father and Son", performed by Cat Stevens. [21], Although his father was Greek Orthodox and his mother was a Baptist, Georgiou was sent to St Joseph Roman Catholic Primary School, Macklin Street, which was closer to his father's business on Drury Lane. When my son brought the guitar back into the house, you know, that was the turning point. With his deeply felt songs and smouldering good looks, he became … "[85] He released a statement the following day denying that he supported vigilantism and claiming that he had merely recounted the legal Islamic punishment for blasphemy. [101], In October 2004, The Sun and The Sunday Times newspapers voiced their support for Yusuf's exclusion from the United States and claimed that he had supported terrorism. Stevens's first singles were hits: "I Love My Dog" reached number 28 on the UK Singles Chart; and "Matthew and Son", the title song from his debut album, reached number 2 in the UK. This brush with death intensified his long-held quest for spiritual truth. This album was also certified by the RIAA as a Multi-Platinum record in 2001, with over 3 million sold in the United States through that time. Discover releases, reviews, credits, songs, and more about Yusuf* / Cat Stevens - Tea For The Tillerman² at Discogs. [53], After the end of his relationship with D'Arbanville, Stevens noted the effect it had on writing his music, saying, "Everything I wrote while I was away was in a transitional period and reflects that. Keating's former group, Boyzone, had a hit with the song a decade earlier. Subsequently, he commented in a 1989 interview on Australian television that Rushdie should be killed and stated he would rather burn Rushdie instead of an effigy. [11][74] Yusuf appearing on BBC's Desert Island Discs[72] on 27 September 2020 claimed clever journalists had framed his Fatwa comment in a misleading way. [73] While the plane was in flight, his name was flagged as being on the No Fly List. Yusuf/Cat Stevens opens up about his conversion to Islam: 'I was an icon of the majority and now I am part of the minority who are looked down upon' Within six months of its release, it had sold over 500,000 copies, attaining gold record status in the United Kingdom and the United States. Islam attended as part of an honorary committee which also included George Martin, Richard Branson, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Klaus Voormann, Christopher Lee and others. He is also the founder and chairman of the Small Kindness charity, which initially assisted famine victims in Africa and now supports thousands of orphans and families in the Balkans, Indonesia, and Iraq. The performer is noted as "Yusuf", with a cover label identifying him as "the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens". Official website of Yusuf / Cat Stevens. Yusuf revisits the songs of Cat Stevens 06:13 By any name, Yusuf Islam is a legend. In 1973, Stevens moved to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as a tax exile from the United Kingdom, however, he later donated the money to UNESCO. Cat Stevens – now mononymously Yusuf – released Tea For The Tillerman in 1970. On The Road To Find Out. You come to a point where you have sung, more or less ... your whole repertoire and you want to get down to the job of living. [88][89], He appeared on videotape on a VH1 pre-show for the October 2001 Concert for New York City, condemning the attacks and singing his song "Peace Train" for the first time in public in more than 20 years, as an a cappella version. During the time he was studying the Qur'an, Stevens began to identify more and more with the story of Joseph, a man bought and sold in the market place, which is how he said he had increasingly felt within the music business. "[94], However, the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) added him to a "watch list"[28] which provoked an international controversy and led the British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw to complain personally to the United States Secretary of State Colin Powell at the United Nations. His compassionate and imaginative songs revealed his deep longing for a better world and in doing so resonated in the hearts of millions of fans worldwide. On 24 May he appeared on the BBC's The Andrew Marr Show, where he was interviewed and performed the title track of Roadsinger. ", "Yusuf Islam Plots Intimate North American Tour", https://www.majicat.com/articles/melodymaker673.htm, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13619462.2018.1519429, "Interview With Yusuf Islam, Formerly Cat Stevens, Larry King Live", "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)", "VH1 Profiles Cat Stevens in "Behind the Music, "The Radio London story – part six: Peel, Pepper and the final hour", "Profile: Yusuf Islam aka Cat Stevens: Not so much a zealot more a lost musician". [87] In the years since these comments he has repeatedly denied ever calling for the death of Rushdie or supporting the fatwa, a position contradicted by his contemporary public statements in 1989. [75] The concert closed with his performance along with David Essex, Alun Davies, and Islam's brother, David Gordon, who wrote the finale song "Child for a Day". [34] Stevens' brother David Gordon, a convert to Judaism,[71] brought him a copy of the Qur'an as a birthday gift from a trip to Jerusalem.[25]. [63] During that time he created the album Foreigner, which was a departure from the music that had brought him to the height of his fame. He had looked into "Buddhism, Zen, I Ching, numerology, tarot cards, and astrology". For those people looking for Cat Stevens, they'll probably find him in this record. The Laughing Apple is the fifteenth studio album by Yusuf / Cat Stevens.The album was released on 15 September 2017 by Cat-O-Log Records. [36] The original version of the Tremeloes' hit "Here Comes My Baby" was written and recorded by Stevens. Stevens began work on Mona Bone Jakon, a folk rock based album. In May 2006, in anticipation of his forthcoming new pop album, the BBC1 programme Imagine aired a 49-minute documentary with Alan Yentob called Yusuf: The Artist formerly Known as Cat Stevens. His father was a Greek Cypriot and his mother was Swedish, and they divorced when he was 8 years old. "Post "Excited to be a part of this wonderful event. On 3 March 2020, Yusuf played the Music for the Marsden benefit concert at the O2 Arena in London. [43] He spent months recuperating in the hospital and a year of convalescence. Proceeds of the single went to help orphans in Banda Aceh, one of the areas worst affected by the tsunami, through Islam's Small Kindness charity. You can check it out below. Stevens became a devout Muslim and adopted the name Yusuf Islam, quietly making spiritually oriented recordings but avoiding the mainstream, especially after the controversy that followed his comments about the fatwa declared against author Salman Rushdie in 1989. [citation needed], In April 2007, BBC1 broadcast a concert given at the Porchester Hall by Islam as part of BBC Sessions, his first live performance in London in 28 years (the previous one being the UNICEF "Year of the Child" concert in 1979). And I was dancin' on the rocks there ... right on the rocks where the waves were, like, blowin' and splashin'. Rumours which circulated after made me imagine otherwise. In 2007, "Don't Be Shy" was used in the film Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium[62] and in 2011, it appeared in the pilot episode of the ABC television series Once Upon A Time. Featuring the return of Alun Davies and best known for "Oh Very Young", Buddha and the Chocolate Box reached platinum status in 2001. 2. View this post on … And, in a Rolling Stone magazine interview, he reaffirmed this, saying, "I had found the spiritual home I'd been seeking for most of my life. I never supported the fatwa." What that means is that whenever one is confronted by something that is not mentioned in the scriptures, one must observe what benefit it can bring. To rectify this, after signing with Island Records in 1970, an American distribution deal was arranged with A&M Records' Jerry Moss in North America. [146], On 15 September 2014, Islam announced the forthcoming release on 27 October 2014 of his new studio album, Tell 'Em I'm Gone, and two short tours: a November 2014 (9-date) Europe tour and a December 2014 (6-date) North America tour, the latter being his first one since 1976. Hurst arranged for him to record a demo and helped him get a record deal. Two of the songs, "Don't Be Shy" and "If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out", were not released on any album until their inclusion in 1984 on a second "greatest hits" collection, Footsteps in the Dark: Greatest Hits, Vol. The title song was one Islam had written years before to introduce his first child to both the religion and the Arabic alphabet. Official page of Yusuf Islam / Cat Stevens [94] Islam stated "I have never knowingly supported or given money to Hamas". [120] The album, An Other Cup, was released internationally in November 2006 on his own label, Ya Records (distributed by Polydor Records in the UK, and internationally by Atlantic Records)—the 40th anniversary of his first album, Matthew and Son. [75], After a brief engagement to Louise Wightman,[76] Islam married Fauzia Mubarak Ali on 7 September 1979,[75] at Regent's Park Mosque in London. Cat Stevens lyrics - 191 song lyrics sorted by album, including "The Adhan (Call To Prayer)", "Wild World", "Father And Son". Yusuf Cat Stevens is a singer-songwriter who first enjoyed success more than 50 years ago. 139.6k Followers, 224 Following, 973 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Yusuf / Cat Stevens (@yusufcatstevens) [117], In mid-2005, Islam played guitar for the Dolly Parton album Those Were the Days on her version of his "Where Do the Children Play?" Official page of Yusuf Islam / Cat Stevens In 2014, "Cat and the Dog Trap" (from the Tell 'Em I'm Gone album released as Yusuf) was used on an episode of the CBS television series Elementary. [14] However, the New York appearance was postponed due to issues regarding his work visa. He said: There is a great deal of ignorance in the world about Islam today, and we hope to communicate with the help of something more refined than lectures and talks. Fifty years ago, the man who came to fame as Cat Stevens released his masterpiece album, "Tea For the Tillerman." The second name is like the official tag, but you call a friend by their first name. [68] Linda Lewis appears in the song's video, with Cat Stevens singing to her, as they portray former schoolmates, singing to each other on a schoolyard merry-go-round. Yusuf / Cat Stevens developed from a polished teen idol of the 1960s into a long-haired peace loving troubadour and one of the most iconic singer-songwriters of the 1970s. At first he tried forming a band, but realised he preferred performing solo. TFTT Super Deluxe Bundle. [32] He also sought to emulate composers of musicals, like Ira Gershwin and Leonard Bernstein. In 2016, the single "If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out" appeared in a television commercial for the 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee. In December 1977, Stevens converted to Islam[10] and adopted the name Yusuf Islam the following year. Yusuf's Tea for the Tillerman 2 is a reimagining of his 1970 album as Cat Stevens. Juli 1948 als Steven Demetre Georgiou in London) ist ein britischer Sänger, Songwriter, Gitarrist und Pianist. [37] Some of that success was attributed to the pirate radio station Wonderful Radio London, which gained him fans by playing his records. He stated that, immediately afterwards, a wave appeared and carried him back to shore. "Songwriter of the Year, Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens), "Carly Simon Sings American Classics, Again", "Carly Simon revisits her hits on new album 'Never Been Gone' and spills about a past love", "Soundtracks for Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium", "Report: Muslim Convert Cat Stevens Has a Jewish Brother", "Lucy Was Cat's Meow but When She Bared Her Soul She Got Scratched", "Interview with Yusuf Islam, aka Cat Stevens", "Questions for Yusuf Islam: Singing a New Song", "Islamia Primary School :: History of Islamia", "Doesn't Yusuf Have Links With Terrorists? This documentary film features rare audio and video clips from the late 1960s and 1970s, as well as an extensive interview with Islam, his brother David Gordon, several record executives, Bob Geldof, Dolly Parton, and others outlining his career as Cat Stevens, his conversion and emergence as Yusuf Islam, and his return to music in 2006. The ten-date tour visited Germany, France, the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium and cities such as Stockholm, Hamburg, Oberhausen, Berlin, Munich, Rotterdam, Paris, Mannheim, Vienna and Brussels. The record, with a madrigal sound unlike most music played on pop radio, with sounds of djembes and bass in addition to Stevens' and Davies' guitars, reached number 8 in the UK. Father And Son. [112], In early 2005, Islam released a new song, entitled "Indian Ocean", about the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami disaster. Download your pages straight from your order confirmation email. 2. [51], Mona Bone Jakon was the precursor for Stevens' international breakthrough album, Tea for the Tillerman, which became a Top 10 Billboard hit. [45] Although he discontinued his pop career, he was persuaded to perform one last time before what became his twenty-five-year musical hiatus. [128], On 5 May 2009, Islam released Roadsinger, a new pop album recorded in 2008. The song featured Indian composer/producer A. R. Rahman, a-ha keyboard player Magne Furuholmen and Travis drummer Neil Primrose. On 15 May, he appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, performing "Boots and Sand" and "Father and Son". It seems to be the easiest thing in the world these days to make scurrilous accusations against Muslims and, in my case, it directly impacts on my relief work and damages my reputation as an artist. Cat Stevens, seit 1978 Yusuf Islam, Künstlername Yusuf (* 21. [18] The family lived above the Moulin Rouge, a restaurant his parents operated on the north end of Shaftesbury Avenue, a short walk from Piccadilly Circus in the Soho theatre district of London. An accompanying single, called "Heaven/Where True Love Goes", was also released. On 21 April 2005 Islam gave a short talk before a scheduled musical performance in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on the anniversary of the prophet Muhammad's birthday. He sued for libel and received an out-of-court financial settlement from the newspapers, which both published apology statements saying that he had never supported terrorism and mentioning that he had recently been given a Man of Peace award from the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates.