Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens) and his Anti-War and Pro-Peace Protest Songs: From Hippy Peace to Islamic Peace

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Abstract

In the 1970s Yusuf Islam (aka Cat Stevens) inspired a generation with his songs on anti-materialism, finding self and peace in such classic albums as Tea for the Tillerman (1970, US 3X platinum) and Teaser and the Firecat (1971, US 3X platinum). In December 1977 he converted to Islam, gave up popular music and focussed on humanitarian and educational work, until he returned to popular music in 2006. Meanwhile, Muslims became associated in the West as intolerant and violent. Yusuf has emerged in the last decade as a voice for progressive Muslims. This article explores the continuities in his music from his Cat Stevens days to his comeback and how he has reconciled popular music and his Cat Stevens past with his understanding Islam. The focus is on his anti-war and pro-peace songs. It argues that his earlier songs are similar in their messages of world peace through love and unity, though less dark than his post-2006 songs. Additionally, his recent songs have a new message that the world must be more inclusive to achieve world peace. This is connected to him being a Muslin in the West and his feeling of exclusion, in an age when many in the West portray all Muslims as extremists. Consequently, in his recent music he reflects his experience as a Muslim, in the same way as his earlier music reflected the counter-culture of that period. Thus he has gone jback to his earlier self after adopting a progressive understanding of Islam. Not Started Completed Rejected.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationPopular Culture and its Relationship to Conflict in the UK and Australia since the Great War,
EditorsAndrekos Varnava, Michael J.K. Walsh
Place of PublicationUnited Kingdom
PublisherRoutledge, Taylor & Francis
Pages92-116
Number of pages25
ISBN (Electronic)9781003349310
ISBN (Print)9781032393421, 9781032393452
Publication statusPublished - 2023

Keywords

  • Yusuf Islam (aka Cat Stevens)
  • anti-war songs
  • pro-peace protest songs
  • anti-materialism
  • progressive Muslims
  • popular music
  • Islam
  • world peace

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