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The Artist Formerly Known As Cat Stevens might have difficulties entering the United States to promote his new release — his first pop album since 1978.

Yusuf Islam, whose CD "An Other Cup" will be out Nov. 14, was sent back to England in 2004 after his flight was diverted to Maine and Customs and Border Protection agents questioned him there.

While Islam admits to being "radical" when he first became a Muslim in the '70s, the deportation prompted Jon Stewart to quip, "We finally got the guy who wrote 'Peace Train.' "

Ann Davis, a spokeswoman for the Transportation Security Agency, told us: "The TSA does not confirm whether any name is on or not on the 'no-fly' list. But Mr. Islam was a positive match on numerous watch lists when Customs and Border Protection agents interviewed him in Maine. They refused him admission to the United States based on national security grounds."

Islam was also deported from Israel for giving thousands of dollars to Hamas.

More recently, the composer of "Wild World" and "Moonshadow" has tried to build understanding among Christians, Jews and Muslims. He called the 9/11 terrorist attacks "an offense against the true spirit of Islam" and recently sent Pope Benedict XVI his book "The Life of the Last Prophet" after the pontiff made remarks perceived to be divisive.

Islam's new lyrics don't mention Allah or the prophet Mohammed by name, but in the song "Heaven," he sings, "If a storm should come and if you face a wave/ That may be the chance for you to be saved/ And if you make it through the trouble and the pain/ That may be the time for you to know his name."

Execs at Atlantic Records, which just signed the 58-year-old Islam last month, are optimistic.

"We don't yet have firm touring plans for Yusuf. We hope he will be coming here in mid-November," said label spokeswoman Sheila Richman.