September 26, 2001 – Yusuf Islam, formerly known as Cat Stevens, is to donate the royalties from his upcoming US box set to charity with a major portion going to the September 11th Fund to help victims, their families, and communities affected by the recent terrorist attacks; the remainder will go to orphans and homeless families in underdeveloped countries.

"I feel this is my duty," Yusuf said. "The horrible acts we have just witnessed in the U.S. have deeply wounded humanity; terror on this scale affects everybody on this small planet of ours. My heartfelt sorrow and condolences goes out to the families and friends of those who lost their lives in this tragic attack."

Cat Stevens retired from the music world after entering Islam in 1977. He adopted a new name, Yusuf Islam. Since then, he has been active in establishing schools and working for charitable causes which benefit children worldwide.

Adds Yusuf, "A lot of my lyrics were about searching for peace and happiness in this wild world we live, a few came true. The Peace Train I still pray will one day arrive. I hope that this donation will bring some comfort. I am glad that my songs are still able to help people in some way."

Yusuf Islam has been personally involved in supervising the re-releases of his classic albums on Universal. For many years the royalties from his amazing catalogue have supported various children's charities -- such as Small Kindness -- which has helped thousands of orphans and destitute families most recently in Kosovo and Bosnia.

The four-CD Cat Stevens Box Set (A&M/UME), to be released October 30, 2001, is a collection of the work spanning his long career, beginning with his first demo in 1965 through his eleven albums and ending with a 1997 collaboration recorded under his Muslim name, Yusuf Islam.