My experience of living with people of diverse religions and cultures taught me that one will never be at peace with the other if one is at war with oneself.
If people who cherish freedom, who know the importance of mutual respect and are aware of the imperative necessity to establish a constructive and critical debate, if these people are not ready to speak out, to be more committed and visible, then we can expect sad, painful tomorrows. The choice is ours.
Interpretation
What this quote means
It emphasizes the responsibility of individuals to advocate for freedom and respectful dialogue in society.
This quote by Tariq Ramadan stresses the importance of active engagement in societal issues by those who value freedom and mutual respect. It suggests that if such individuals remain silent and passive, society will face negative consequences, highlighting the urgency of speaking out and participating in constructive debates to shape a better future. The notion that the future is shaped by our choices underlines a fundamental philosophical perspective on personal responsibility and collective action.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about civic engagement, one might say, 'As Tariq Ramadan warns us, we must speak out to protect our freedoms.'
More from Tariq Ramadan
All quotes βI believe my religion is the truth, but I am not the truth and the truth doesn't belong to me I'm trying to belong to the truth.
Compelling a woman to wear a headscarf is against Islam, and compelling her to remove it is against human rights.
This simple truth is the essence of my message to Muslims throughout the world: know who you are, who you want to be, and start talking and working with whom you are not. Find common values and build with fellow citizens a society based on diversity and equality.
The great majority of Americans do not know much about Islam but nonetheless fear it as violent, expansionist and alien to their society. The problem to overcome is not hatred, but ignorance.
Instantaneous and mass communication is the mother of mass naivety. Should we then lose hope? Is there any hope? But to lose hope is as dangerous as to nurture false hope. Where then can we find hope that is responsible?
Similar quotes
The great events of life often leave one unmoved; they pass out of consciousness, and, when thinks of them, become unreal. Even the scarlet flowers of passion seem to grow in the same meadow as the poppies of oblivion. We reject the burden of their memory, and have anodynes against them. But the little things, the things of no moment, remain with us. In some tiny ivory cell the brain stores the most delicate, and the most fleeting impressions.
To be ruthless requires belief that our life on earth is but a brief prelude to an afterlife, or a temporary sacrifice before some utopia can be instituted._x000D_ _x000D_ Where there is the necessary technical skill to move mountains, there is no need for the faith that moves mountains.
Vanity is a static thing. It puts it faith in what it has, and is easily wounded. Pride is active, and satisfied only with what it can do, hence accustomed not to feel small stings.
We grew up founding our dreams on the infinite promise of American advertising. I still believe that one can learn to play the piano by mail and that mud will give you a perfect complexion.
The values of the world we inhabit and the people we surround ourselves with have a profound effect on who we are.
If something is not beautiful, it is probably not true.