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Insert Cat Stevens pun here<\/div>\n

<\/p><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

Yesterday was a bad day for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). No, not because of the curious deportation of Yusuf \u201cCat Stevens<\/a>\u201d Islam, who apparently made it onto the US \u201cno-fly\u201d list, along with such terror risks<\/a> as Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and Representative John Lewis (D-GA). It was bad because that same agency announced that undercover investigators were able to sneak explosives<\/a> and weapons past security screeners at 15 airports nationwide. Representative John Mica (R-FL), who reviewed the report, said the results on weapons were \u201cbad enough,\u201d but the results on explosives were \u201cabsolutely horrendous.\u201d Meanwhile, as our skies remain at risk three years after 9\/11, DHS is busy making sure 1970\u2019s folk rock doesn\u2019t penetrate our borders<\/a> by keeping Islam (the man, not the religion \u2013 well, maybe that, too) out of the US, allegedly for donating money to Hamas. (Islam, who was on his way to Nashville to record music<\/a> with his daughter, denies<\/a> the allegation.) What is known, however, is that Yusuf Islam has donated money<\/a> to the victims of 9\/11 and the Beslan, Russia school killings, including donating half the royalties from a CD he released last May to the 9\/11 Fund. In addition, he was invited to meet with White House officials only four months ago<\/a>. \u201cIf Mr. Ashcroft is willing to take Yusuf Islam off that plane,\u201d commented Mansoor Ijaz of Fox News, \u201cthen next time he\u2019d better be willing to take me off<\/a> as well.\u201d A request<\/a> from UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw for more information from the State Department got nowhere. \u201cWe have no charges against him,\u201d responded<\/a> Secretary of State Colin Powell even as he justified the deportation. \u201cWe have nothing that would be actionable in our courts.\u201d Despite his concern, Islam is taking the whole thing in stride. \u201cThe one positive thing I can say is that a lot security officers are pleased because they got my autograph<\/a>,\u201d he said. \u201cPeople make mistakes. I just hope they made a big mistake. We\u2019ll see.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/i><\/p>\n

Shahed Amanullah is editor-in-chief of altmuslim.com.\n<\/p>\n

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