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NEWS : STORIES
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09.22.2004 9:39 AM EDT
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Singer Cat Stevens Kicked Off Flight When His Name Found On Watch List
Officials say he's believed to have ties to groups that aid terror.
by
Alyssa Rashbaum
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Yusuf Islam (file)
(Photo:
Vh1
)
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It truly is a wild world for Cat Stevens.
The singer, who adopted the Muslim name Yusuf Islam in 1977, was denied entry to the United States on Tuesday when his name was found on an anti-terrorist watch list.
Islam's United Airlines
flight, scheduled to fly from London to Washington, D.C., was diverted on Tuesday after the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency found the singer's name on the list, created to prevent terrorists from boarding flights. The singer's name was found on the list after the plane was already in the air, according to CNN.
Islam had passed the United Airlines pre-screening and was issued a boarding pass. When his name was found on the watch list, the flight's course was diverted to Bangor, Maine, where Islam was removed from the aircraft and questioned.
The singer, who is reportedly a strong supporter of Muslim charities, was on the list because of "known associations and financial support to organizations believed to be aiding terrorism," a government official told CNN.
Officials believe Islam may have been in the United States as recently as May, which would make his name a recent addition to the watch list.
The plane, carrying around 280 passengers and crew members, continued to its scheduled destination, Washington's Dulles International Airport, after Islam was taken off the flight in Maine. The flight landed almost six hours behind schedule.
Islam, a British citizen who converted to Islam in the 1970s, will be deported back to London on Wednesday.
This report is provided by MTV News
 
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