Being the little sister of hippies, I grew up on a steady listening diet of "Wild World" and "Peace Train", and when I look at myself now as a senior citizen, I realize those lyrics really got in my head. I’ve spent my working life trying to make the world a better place, whether it be as a journalist, or an educator turned school counselor, and my personal belief system as a Jew strongly aligns with my quest for peace, love and understanding. Cat Stevens is very much my Muslim brother in arms.
What? How can I be a Jew who loves Yusuf Islam, who loudly calls for the end of the conflict in Gaza and is hardly a supporter of the Israeli government?
Find out. Read Cat’s autobiography, Cat On The Road To Findout, and open your mind to his vision for the planet and his humanitarian philosophy. Despite the steady media diet we are fed here in the States, not all Muslims are terrorists. Since 9/11, most folks have had a hard time separating the fanatics from the pack, (which, by the way, is not limited to the followers of the Quran), and with the latest incident in Washington, DC, where an Afghan national shot two National Guardsmen, I don’t see that changing. Most humans are prone to hate groups instead of individuals — all you have to do is jump on social media for a daily dose of political posturing against either party to see that in action.
Take a break from that noise. Pick up this book and pay attention to its message. Yes, it is the story of Steven Demetre Georgiou, a talented artist and musician, but it’s so much more. Since becoming a Muslim, Yusuf has made it his goal to support his community and attempt to get the world at large to understand a religion that is constantly maligned. It’s no small feat and from where I’m sitting, one that most folks would have walked away from a long time ago, but this is truly his life calling.
Full disclosure – my knowledge of Islam could fit in a thimble before I delved into this tome (it will not be a quick read at more than 500 pages). And I wasn’t expecting to learn as much as I did. What surprised me most is the similarities between Judaism and Islam. Our teachings are connected, as is our execution of what we learn. I wanted to read this book because I was curious about how Steven became Cat and then Yusuf. I found out. And you should too.
