Tahar Ben Jelloun Quotes & Sayings (Page 3)

“People must insist on the right to say no, to be alone, to stand out from the herd. Creative artists can say all this in their own way and in their own field, by hard, rigorous work.”

“A modern civilization is only possible when it is accepted that singular beings exist and express themselves freely.”

“I am a Moroccan writer of French expression.”

“I'd thought sexuality was instinctive or natural, but it's profoundly linked to inner security and cultural context.”

“An individual voice can be heard in a choir that otherwise sings in unison. This is something that is not excused.”

“The intellectual, the man of thought, doubt and analysis, should give the best of himself.”

“I do not use the language of my people. I can take liberties with certain themes which the Arabic language would not allow me to take.”

“Intellectuals try to keep going. But their situation is very difficult. Those who have had the courage to voice their opposition have often paid a very high price.”

“We must stop posing as victims of the West and behaving negatively towards the West. We must participate with the West on an equal footing in the reconstruction of the world.”

“The world does not look to us in the Arab world out of a healthy desire for knowledge.”