The stars were only sparks of the fire which devoured us. Should that fire die out one day, there would be nothing left in the sky but dead stars, dead eyes.

He explained to me with great insistence that every question posessed a power that did not lie in the answer.

We believed in God, trusted in man, and lived with the illusion that every one of us has been entrusted with a sacred spark.

This day I ceased to plead. I was no longer capable of lamentation. On the contrary, I felt very strong. I was the accuser, God the accused.

We are all brothers and we are all suffering the same fate. The same smoke floats over all our heads. Help one another. It is the only way to survive. (pg. 39)

Man comes closer to God through the questions he asks Him, he liked to say.

All this under a magnificent blue sky.

The world? The world is not interested in us. Today, everything is possible, even the crematoria...

Violence is not the answer. Terrorism is the most dangerous of answers.

Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust. Never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God Himself. Never.

Only thing that makes us fail in all moments, expectations.

Life lends itself to fear.

Strategies grow initially like weeds in a garden, they are not cultivated like tomatoes in a hothouse.

No. I just don't want to be a detective. They figure out what happened after the fact, when it's too late. I want to prevent it from happening.

I love conversation and the sharing of different thoughts and philosophies. That kind of stuff always makes me happy. I don't mind interviews, either - I like doing them.

Those who the gods seek to destroy first, learn how to play golf.

I do not believe there is an atheist in the world who would bulldoze Mecca-or Chartres, York Minster or Notre Dame, the Shwe Dagon, the temples of Kyoto or, of course, the Buddhas of Bamiyan.

The action heroes were very cool as a kid. You would compare yourself with them - Jean-Claude Van Damme and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

I want to do more. I'm never satisfied with what I've done

Debt is a cleverly managed reconquest of Africa