I think I write in a fairly self-confident manner.

Well, to the people who pray for me to not only have an agonising death, but then be reborn to have an agonising and horrible eternal life of torture, I say, 'Well, good on you. See you there.'

A celebrity is well known for being well known. I'm relatively well known - but for what I've written and said, or so I fondly imagine.

My chief consolation in this year of living dyingly has been the presence of friends.

Philosophy begins where religion ends, just as by analogy chemistry begins where alchemy runs out, and astronomy takes the place of astrology.

Everyone in Iran is perceived to be a child with a paternal authority vested in the Guardian Council and the Sufi elders. They're supposed to be grateful. They can never for a moment not be afforded this wonderful protection. The father who will never go away. The father who will never quit caring for them.

Religion gets its morality from us. We don't get our morality from religion.