Page 252 - James Caan - The Real Deal

Chapter 25

Kosovo (1999–2001)

‘ There wasn’t any electricity. Everything was black. No one

could work without light, there was no TV, no radio, no

cars, only darkness. It made me realise how much we take
for granted. ’

’d already had everything I wanted before the deal with
I Advent, so my thoughts now turned to what else I could do with
my wealth, and one of my plans was to give some of it to charity.
As I’ve said before, I was disillusioned with simply writing out a
cheque, and the thought of writing out a really big cheque and
seeing hundreds of thousands of pounds disappear in overheads or
mismanagement or, in many cases overseas, corruption, was
enough to make me really think about how I could use my money
best. I discussed these thoughts with a friend of mine who said he
knew someone I should meet: Cat Stevens.
Cat – the sixties folk singer – converted to Islam after a spiritual
experience when he thought he was drowning. He had asked God
to save him, and when he was delivered safely to shore he spent
months studying the scriptures to find a philosophy and doctrine
that matched his own. Islam was the faith that resonated with him
the most. Since his conversion, he has dedicated his life and his
money to charity work.

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