Yusuf Islam
Yusuf Islam, the folk music artist formerly known as Cat Stevens, publicly converted to Islam in 1977. Over the next few years, he changed his name, auctioned off all his guitars for charity, and left his successful music career behind, saying it ran counter to his faith. Then, a few months after 9/11, he picked up a guitar again.
“There was so much antagonism in the world,” he told Rolling Stone in January 2015. “Many Muslims have come up to me, shook my hand and said, ‘Thank you! Thank you.’ I’m representing the way they want to be seen. So much of the middle ground gets forgotten in the extremities we witness around the world.”
