1. Press Release
Yusuf Islam/ Cat Stevens live in concert at the MIA Park
First concert to take place at the MIA Park since opening on 6 January, 2012
Tickets on sale soon at the Museum of Islamic Art
Doha, 25th January, 2012: The Museum of Islamic Art is proud to present world-renowned
Singer/ Songwriter Yusuf Islam, live in concert for the first time in the Middle East on
Thursday, February 16 at the MIA Park starting 8:00 pm. The concert which will journey
through the extensive catalog of musical hits by Yusuf Islam will be the first in a series of
musical performances planned at MIA Park throughout the year.
Yusuf Islam was born in London to a Greek Cypriot father and a Swedish mother. Formally
known as Cat Stevens, he was one of the biggest solo artists of the 60s and 70s, selling more than
60 million albums with hits including, Father and Son, Wild World, Peace Train and many more.
Following a serious illness and after a near drowning incident, he received a translation of the
Qur'an and converted to Islam in 1977 in which he found peace and universal understanding. He
decided to withdraw from the music industry at his peak and changed his name to Yusuf Islam
beginning a new life.
Following his conversion to Islam, Yusuf Islam became an energetic philanthropist,
humanitarian and an enthusiastic supporter of Islamic Education in UK after the birth of his first
child. He has been recognized worldwide for his humanitarian efforts. In the 1990s, Yusuf
gradually returned to the music business and eventually began performing songs from his time as
Cat Stevens. Commenting on his return, he said: “I needed to reconnect with the fans I left back
in the 70's, those who still held the same ideals for peace and love which I sang about and which
I still promote today as a Muslim.”
Yusuf Islam was one of the first Muslim converts to write Islamic songs in English. A pioneering
Islamic Nasheed artist and producer, his record company, Mountain of Light, has produced some
of the most popular recordings for children, including A is for Allah and I Look, I See, which
teach children the basics of Islam. He has also recorded the spoken word Biography of the
Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.

2. As a new recreational facility in Doha, MIA Park hosts Yusuf Islam's concert marking the launch
of several activities aimed to engage the local community and offer a new venue for
entertainment, creativity and leisure.
Tickets for the concert will be available at the Museum of the Islamic Art for 210 QR and 750
QR for VIP tickets which include: reception as well as on-site parking. For further information,
call the Museum of Islamic Art at 44224444 or visit www.mia.org.qa
For further information about Yusuf Islam please visit www.yusufislam.com
-ends-
For further media information please call Omar Chaikhouni, Public Relations Manager at Qatar
Museums Authority at 44224608.
About Qatar Museums Authority
Established in 2005 by His Highness the Emir, Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani to combine
the resources of all museums in the State of Qatar, Qatar Museums Authority (QMA) is a
governmental organization whose remit is to develop museums and cultural institutions and
provide an effective system for collecting, protecting, preserving and interpreting historic sites,
monuments and artifacts. Under the leadership of its Chairperson H.E. Sheikha Al Mayassa,
QMA is transforming the State of Qatar into a cultural hub of the Middle East. The Museum of
Islamic Art, inaugurated in 2008, is the Authority’s flagship project. The organization won
further global acclaim with the December 2010 opening of Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern
Art. QMA’s goal of becoming a “global leader in the world of museums, art and heritage” will
be advanced in the coming years with ambitious, world-class projects, including the Jean
Nouvel-designed National Museum of Qatar. For further information, please visit
www.qma.org.qa.