Cat Stevens, ex-Greek singer

While we're on the subject of Greek music, remember Ruby Love by sixties great Cat Stevens? Some of the lyrics are even in Greek, while the bouzouki adds a distinctive hellenic flavour to what is in effect a kalamatianos. More than three decades ago Stevens, who was born in England to a Greek Cypriot father, converted to Islam and changed his name to Yusuf Islam.

An erastian reformation?

Since its establishment in 1923 by Mustafa Kemal "Atatürk," the Republic of Turkey has had two distinctive characteristics: (1) French-style official secularism, and (2) top-down reform instigated by a westernized élite backed by the military. The following story seems to portend an unprecedented radical change in the first approach while definitely maintaining the tradition of the second: Turkey in radical revision of Islamic texts. This sounds rather like a muslim version of the notorious Jesus Seminar applied to the reputed sayings of Muhammad. Sceptics may be forgiven for thinking this could (perhaps literally) blow up in Ankara's face.