[lbo-talk] My Hitch Piece

Westrich, James james.westrich at umassmed.edu
Wed Jul 9 09:35:51 PDT 2003


Actually, both you and Hitchens are letting prejudice and misinformation guide your reaction to Yusuf Islam. He never "endorsed" the mullahs fatwah. He was and is a person of peace attempting to live a simple religious life (not that I am endorsing that!). The rest is tabloid hysteria and misinformation. Perhaps its his shunning of the limelight that provokes you and Hitch so much.

Oh yeah, Yusuf Islam has released a new version of Peace Train (not as good as Dolly Parton's but excellent). I am sure he would love you whistling it down the street (the Pentagon or some newsroom would even be better).

Jim

Dennis Perrin:

> Bright spring afternoon. Hitch and I spend it in his

> fave D.C. pub just down the street from his spacious

> apartment. At the long polished bar, he sips a

> martini, I swig Tanqueray on ice offset by pints of

> ale. The pub's TV is flashing golf highlights while

> the jukebox blasts classic rock. We're chatting

> about nothing in particular when the juke begins

> playing "Moonshadow" by Cat Stevens. Hitch stops

> talking. His face tightens. Eyes narrow. I know this

> look--I saw it on Crossfire when he nearly slugged a

> Muslim supporter of the Ayatollah's fatwa against

> Salman Rushdie. I saw it during a Gulf War panel

> discussion at Georgetown when he responded to some

> pro-war hack with a precision barrage of invective,

> followed by the slamming down of the mike, causing a

> brief reverb in the speakers.

> And here it was again.

>

> "No," he said, shaking his head, exhaling Rothman

> smoke. "No--get rid of that!"

>

> Bartender asks, "Excuse me?"

>

> "Get rid"--gesturing to the music in the air--"of

> that."

>

> "Can't. Someone played that song."

>

> "Well, fuck it then."

>

> Don't know if Hitch is serious. Yes, his anger about

> the fatwa is real and understandable. And the fact

> that the former Cat Stevens, Yusef Islam, endorsed

> the mullahs' death sentence clearly enraged him. But

> getting shitty over "Moonshadow"?

>

> "You know," I say, "Yusef Islam renounced everything

> about his past. He hates Cat Stevens more than you

> do. He gave away or destroyed all his gold records.

> If you really want to show your disgust for him,

> embrace Cat Stevens. Play his stuff loud and often.

> Whistle 'Peace Train' or 'Oh Very Young' when you

> pass the local mosque."

>

"And if you want to live high, live high

And if you want to live low, live low"

--Cat Stevens

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