Yusuf Islam, the British singer formerly known as Cat Stevens, arrived in Aceh province on 29 January to draw attention to sustained relief needs following the 26 December tsunami. He planned to pray at the region's central mosque and survey the worst-affected areas by helicopter.
He had left the music industry after converting to Islam in 1977. The scale of the disaster drew him briefly back into public life: he recorded a charity single titled "Indian Ocean" and was scheduled to headline a fundraising concert in Jakarta the following Monday.
Aceh was home to most of Indonesia's 230,000 presumed dead. He praised relief efforts already underway but cautioned that assistance must not fade quickly. "This is going to be a long-term problem," he told reporters.
His charity, Small Kindness, was establishing a regional office in Indonesia to help orphans reconnect with extended family members and receive monthly subsistence support, with the goal of keeping households intact.
He had charted hits including "Peace Train" and "Wild World" in the 1960s and 70s. In September 2004, US authorities deported him after his name appeared on a terrorism watchlist; he denied any connection to terrorist organizations.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this AFP wire report, first published in January 2005, in its own words.