Yusuf Islam celebrates his birthday

Today is the 67th birthday of the famous British musician Cat Stevens, who changed his name to Yusuf Islam in 1970s.

In 1979 he left his music career to devote himself to educational and philanthropic causes in the Muslim community. He said that when he was swimming at Malibu in 1975, he started to sink. ''Oh, God, if you save me I will work for you!'' Cat Stevens yelled. And Stevens' brother gave him a copy of the Koran.

He founded a Muslim school in Kilburn in 1981. Stevens is also the founder of the Small Kindness charity, which supports families in the Balkans, Indonesia, and Iraq. He served as chairman of the charity Muslim Aid from 1985 to 1993.