"Much as I have no wish to hurt anyone's feelings, my first obligation has not been to be nice but to be true to my perhaps peculiar memories, experiences and feelings."

"The intellectual should be a voice for the voiceless, a champion of the oppressed."

"There is no such thing as a pure culture."

"The West's perception of Islam is often based on ignorance, fear, and prejudice."

"The Orient is a stage on which the whole East is confined. On this stage, a drama is played out in which the West is the sole actor."