What's in a Name Change

Steven Demetre Georgiou, Lew Alcindor, Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., Barry Soetoro these are all people who you probably know by another name.  All but one of these state the same reason for the change of names… their conversion to Islam.  There is a good chance you know the names of… I’d guess… two or three of these people.  I’m thinking you may not know Steven Demetre Georgiou… either by his real name (which is Steven Demetre Georgiou) or by the name he changed it to at conversion… Yusuf Islam.  However, (sung to the tune of “Morning has Broken”) if I told you his stage name you would probably know him… especially if you graduated from High School in the early 70’s.  He may have been looking for a “Hard Headed Woman”, but Cat Stevens probably didn’t help his search by changing his name! 

The others you may know, but for the record Alcindor became Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and of course Cassius Clay is the “greatest” Muhammad Ali.  Which leaves us with the one who isn’t declaring the association to Islam… Barry Soetoro.  His politics, however, seem to be making the declaration for him… only the president knows for sure.