Madam, – I have never been as deeply ashamed of my Irishness as I was in the O2 arena on Sunday night. The torrent of abuse that was levelled at the stage during the Moonshadowmusical performance, and for the remainder of the concert when Yusuf Islam took to the stage again, visibly shaken, was deplorable. It only confirmed what I have felt for a long time – years of economic growth have made us a nation of spoiled brats demanding instant gratification. If we don't get what we want we kick and scream until we're eventually satisfied. I understand the argument that people may have been badly informed as to how long the Moonshadowperformance would last. Yusuf has subsequently admitted as such, and that many paid to hear "Cat Stevens' greatest hits".
However, the vitriolic language that some people used to express their dissatisfaction is inexcusable. When you consider that many people from all over the world, from countries not lucky enough to be included in this tour, travelled to see him in Dublin, I can’t but feel highly embarrassed as to how we must have looked as a nation.
I fear we have been robbed of ever seeing Yusuf’s great talent again due to the mindless abuse he suffered at the hands of the few, and who could blame him? – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Before we start falling over each other in our attempt to be the first to apologise to the "utterly shocked" (Home News, November 18th) Yusuf Islam/Cat Stevens, we should be reassured that the singer is made of sterner stuff than all that and is, at times, a harsh critic of the artistic output of others. After all, wasn't it he who, following the publication of the Satanic Verses, expressed a desire to see the fatwa against Salman Rushdie carried out? – Yours, etc,