They have hijacked my religion.

The words of Cat Stevens — "They have hijacked my religion." — strike with both sorrow and defiance, as though uttered by one whose sacred treasure has been seized and twisted by unworthy hands. In this lament, we hear the voice of a man whose faith, meant to be a fountain of peace, compassion, and beauty, has been misused by others as a weapon of fear and violence. To say that one’s religion has been hijacked is to confess both grief and anger: grief, that something holy has been corrupted, and anger, that it has been turned against the very values it was meant to uphold.

The origin of this cry lies in the modern age, when acts of extremism and hatred have often been committed under the banner of religion. Cat Stevens, who embraced Islam in his adult life and became known as Yusuf Islam, saw his faith misrepresented by those who chose violence rather than mercy. His words reflect the pain of countless believers across all traditions who have watched outsiders judge their faith not by its truth, but by the distortions of a few. In this, his voice joins the chorus of prophets and sages who through the centuries have protested against those who corrupt the sacred for worldly gain.

History abounds with examples of such hijacking. Consider the Crusades, when men claiming the cross of Christ waged wars that slaughtered innocents. The faith that was founded upon love of neighbor was weaponized into conquest. Or recall the Spanish Inquisition, when the name of God was invoked to justify torture and fear. In each case, the religion itself was not at fault, but the hands of those who used it as a cloak for their own ambition. Thus, Stevens’s lament is not new; it is the cry of every age when the holy is corrupted by the unholy.

And yet, there is also a heroic note in these words. For by declaring that his religion has been hijacked, Stevens refuses to surrender it. He proclaims that its true essence remains intact, untouchable by those who distort it. In this, he mirrors the spirit of Saint Francis of Assisi, who in his time saw the Church weighed down by wealth and corruption, yet chose not to abandon it, but to live its truest spirit of simplicity, humility, and love. So too, the one who grieves over the misuse of his faith can reclaim it by embodying its true light.

The teaching here is powerful: the sacred belongs to no tyrant, no extremist, no manipulator. Religion is not the property of those who twist it for violence, nor of those who corrupt it for power. Its truth belongs to God, to the eternal, and to those who live it with sincerity. To recognize when the holy has been hijacked is the first step in freeing it. And that liberation comes not through vengeance, but through living its true values so purely that falsehood is exposed.

The lesson for us is this: guard the heart of your faith, whether in God, in justice, or in humanity. Do not let it be defined by those who corrupt it. When others twist your beliefs, answer not with hatred but with example. Live the truth of your values so clearly that the world cannot mistake them. If your faith teaches mercy, be merciful. If it teaches peace, be peaceful. If it teaches love, then let your life overflow with love. By doing this, you reclaim what has been hijacked and reveal the true face of what is sacred.

What, then, should you do in practice? Speak against distortions when you see them, but more importantly, embody what is right. Do not grow silent out of shame when others misuse your tradition. Instead, let your actions declare its truth louder than any enemy can twist it. Remember always that the true strength of religion lies not in force, but in the transformation of hearts.

Thus let this wisdom endure: when the holy is hijacked by those who would corrupt it, the faithful must rise not with bitterness but with steadfast truth. In living the true essence of their belief, they unmask the impostors and restore dignity to what is eternal. For no power on earth can truly seize a religion so long as its children live its light.