Islam was like a mental cage. At first, when you open the door, the caged bird stays inside: it is frightened. It has internalized its imprisonment. It takes time for bird to escape, even after someone has opened the doors to its cage.

My conscience is informed by reason. It's like Kant's categorical imperative: behave to others as you would wish they behaved to you.

...Bear true witness, even if it be against yourselves, your parents or your family.

There is one Islam, unreformed, but three sets of Muslims. Medina, Mecca, and. Dissidents, reformers, whatever you want to call them. The first group are the extremists and fundamentalists, the second the great mass of Muslims who just want to live their lives in peace, and the third are reformers.

The idea that if people are just friendly and demonstrate they want peace, that will be answered with good will - that is really naive.

They decided to let immigrants in and I am an immigrant. They gave us a chance to participate in this country's life and I took it.

Tolerance of intolerance is cowardice.