Is he really on ‘peace train’?

I grew up adoring the music of Yusuf Islam back when he was called Cat Stevens, but that adoration abruptly ended in 1989 when he publicly supported calls by Iran’s Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini for the assassination of author Salman Rushdie, who allegedly blasphemed the Muslim religion in his novel “The Satanic Verses.” Thus I found it interesting in Ellen Wulfhorst’s article about Islam’s performance last week [“Older, Wiser and Back Aboard ‘Peace Train,’ ” Dec. 21] that his 2004 “no-fly list” controversy was mentioned, but not this far more disturbing public position.

In recent years, such as with this U.S. performance, the former superstar has attempted to mitigate the damage to his career and spin-manage his stance, but the fact is he hoped for the death of the writer and said he would willingly help bring it about if he could, and to me that will forever derail whatever “peace train” he tries to get aboard.

WILL CAMPBELL

Los Angeles