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Yusuf Islam wins libel case |
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Written by Islamic Times
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Monday, 21 July 2008 |
British folk and Nasheed singer Yusuf Islam, formerly Cat Stevens, yesterday accepted libel damages and an apology from a news agency which reported he refused to talk to women at an awards ceremony who were not wearing a veil.
The artist, who changed his name after becoming a Muslim in the late 1970s, will donate the “substantial” payout to Small Kindness, a UN-linked charity which he chairs.
Adam Tudor, the singer’s solicitor, told London’s High Court that the story behind the legal action was published by World Entertainment News Network and was used on Contactmusic.com, a website said to have 2.2mn page views a month.
The article appeared in March last year and suggested that the singer “so sexist and bigoted that he refused at an awards ceremony to speak to or even acknowledge any women who were not wearing a veil,” Tudor said.
“It went on to suggest that Islam’s manager had stated ‘Islam doesn’t speak with women except his wife. Least of all if they don’t wear a headscarf. Things like that only happen via an intermediary.’”
Tudor said the article had embarrassed the singer, creating a false impression of his attitude to women and also casting serious aspersions on his religious faith
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Last Updated ( Monday, 21 July 2008 )
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