Cat Stevens. A victim of mistaken identity

[funwithtreason]

Cat Stevens saga 'a spelling error'

From correspondents in New York

26sep04

CAT Stevens was deported from the United States because of a spelling error, with American officials confusing the former pop star with a man with a similar name on a "no-fly" list, Time magazine reported today.

You Say Yusuf, I Say Youssouf...

The Cat Stevens incident has its origins in a spelling mistake

By SALLY B. DONNELLY

http://www.time.com/time/nation/printout/0,8816,702062,00.html

The Yusuf Islam incident earlier this week, in which the former Cat Stevens was denied entry into the U.S. when federal officials determined he was on the government's "no-fly" antiterror list, started with a simple spelling error. According to aviation sources with access to the list, there is no Yusuf Islam on the no-fly registry, though there is a "Youssouf Islam." The incorrect name was added to the register this summer, but because Islam's name is spelled "Yusuf" on his British passport, he was allowed to board a plane in London bound for the U.S. The Transportation Safety Administration alleges that Islam has links to terrorist groups, which he has denied, British foreign minister Jack Straw said the TSA action "should never have been taken."

The incident points up some of the real problems facing security personnel as they try to enforce the "no-fly" list. One issue is spelling; many foreign names have several different transliterations into English. And the sheer size of the list is daunting; thousands of names have been added in the last couple months, says one government official, bringing the total up to more than 19,000 people to look out for. That makes it difficult for airlines and government agencies to check all passengers. Within the past six months, several people on the no fly list have been mistakenly allowed to fly.

Still, the TSA is learning. It recently acknowledged that a Federal Air Marshall, unable to fly for weeks when his name was mistakenly put on the "no-fly" list, was in fact not a threat, and removed his name from the list.

Stevens, 57, gave up his successful pop career in the late 1970s, taking the name Yusuf Islam and converting to Islam.

He had been travelling from London to Washington on Tuesday when his flight was diverted to Bangor, Maine, where he was detained on "national security grounds".

He was then put on a plane back to London, according to US security officials.

Asa Hutchinson, the US Department of Homeland Security's under secretary for border and transportation security, refused to specify the allegations against him.

Time, in its online edition, quoted aviation sources with access to the "no-fly" list as saying there was no entry on the list under the name Yusuf Islam, but there was a Youssouf Islam listed.

Because Islam's name was spelled Yusuf on his passport, said the sources, he was allowed to board a plane in London bound for the United States.

Islam said on Friday he had begun legal action against US authorities.

"We have now initiated a legal process to try to find out exactly what is going on, and to take all necessary steps to undo the very serious, and wholly unfounded, injustice which I have suffered," he said.

"The amazing thing is that I was not given, and have still not been given, any explanation whatsoever as to what it is I am accused of, or why I am now deemed an apparent security threat - let alone given an opportunity to respond to these allegations.

"I was simply told that the order had come from on high."

This proves Cat Stevens has no terrorist connections, proves his name was confused with another person who HAS terrorist ties and proves there was no entry on the list under the name Yusuf Islam, but there was a Youssouf Islam listed.

Which proves mistaken identity.

Looks like Cat Stevens has a legitimate case against the US. They're going to have to remove his name off the no fly list or be ordered to by a justice as he is filing a lawsuit against the US.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3686992.stm