Cat is 'Man of Peace'

2004-11-09 07:41

Rome - Singer-songwriter Yusuf Islam, formerly known as Cat Stevens, will receive a Man of Peace award here on Wednesday, two months after being refused entry to the United States on security grounds.

Islam, 57, will receive the prize from the Gorbachev Foundation at the opening of the fifth World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates at Rome's city hall.

The award is given annually "to a distinguished personage of culture and entertainment for peace messages, fraternity and integration between nations".

The Foundation said Islam was being recognised for his charity "Small Kindness" set up "to alleviate the suffering of thousands of children and their parents in countries of war and agony like Kosovo, Bosnia, Albania, Montenegro and Iraq".

Previous winners included Italian actor and filmmaker Roberto Begnini for his film Life is Beautiful.

Islam was deported from the United States last September after being denied entry on "security grounds" and was released without charge.

He was travelling to the US capital when his flight was diverted to Bangor, Maine where he was detained before being transferred later to Washington for his flight back to his Britain.

Islam, who visited the United States earlier this year without incident, is best known for such mellow 1970s hits as Morning Has Broken, Wild World and Peace Train. He converted to the Muslim faith in 1977.

- AFP