Cat Stevens

“Peace Train is a song I wrote, the message of which continues to breeze thunderously through the hearts of millions of human beings.”

— Cat Stevens

“I was brought up in the modern world of all the luxury and the highlight of show business. I was born into a Christian home.”

— Cat Stevens

“It is part of my faith as a Muslim to try to help those who are suffering from poverty or economic or political injustice.”

— Cat Stevens

“Moderation is part of faith, so those who accuse Muslim schools of fostering fanaticism should learn a bit more about Islam.”

— Cat Stevens

“I am confident that, in the end, common sense and justice will prevail. I'm an optimist, brought up on the belief that if you wait to the end of the story, you get to see the good people live happily ever after.”

— Cat Stevens

“Music is part of God's universe.”

— Cat Stevens

“I suppose that by being absent from the music business, it appeared that I just dropped out, but really I never did. I was continuously working and doing various things.”

— Cat Stevens

“I've studied various schools of thought... I acknowledge that some Muslims consider music prohibited, but I've found a lot of evidence from the life of the Prophet to show that he allowed certainly, but even encouraged, music at certain times.”

— Cat Stevens

“Music is a lady that I still love because she gives me the air that I breathe. We need all sorts of nourishment. And music satisfies and nourishes the hunger within ourselves for connection and harmony.”

— Cat Stevens

“Music can be healing, and with my history and my knowledge of both sides of what looks like a gigantic divide in the world, I feel I can point a way forward to our common humanity again.”

— Cat Stevens

“There is a powerful need for people to feel that gust of hope rise up again.”

— Cat Stevens

“This is the beauty of the Qur'an: it asks you to reflect and reason, and not to worship the sun or moon but the One who has created everything. The Qur'an asks man to reflect upon the sun and moon and God's creation in general.”

— Cat Stevens

“There was no division I could see between the essential teaching of all Prophets and wise men of religion.”

— Cat Stevens

“I became very famous, as a teenager, and my name and photo were splashed in all the media. They made me larger than life, so I wanted to live larger than life, and the only way to do that was to be intoxicated.”

— Cat Stevens

“I looked at some of the statues of Jesus they were just stones with no life. When they said that God is three, I was puzzled even more but could not argue. I believed it, simply because I had to have respect for the faith of my parents.”

— Cat Stevens

“The latest horror to hit the U.S. looks to have been caused by people of Middle Eastern origin, bearing Muslim names. Again, shame. This fuels more hatred for a religion and a people who have nothing to do with these events.”

— Cat Stevens

“'Peace Train' is a song I wrote, the message of which continues to breeze thunderously through the hearts of millions. There is a powerful need for people to feel that gust of hope rise up again.”

— Cat Stevens

“I've returned to being an amateur without any ties or strings attached, which gives me a freedom I never had before.”

— Cat Stevens

“They have hijacked my religion.”

— Cat Stevens

“The very first lesson that I learnt from the Qur'an was the message of unity and peace.”

— Cat Stevens