My wife thought I deserved it, but I always thought the Nobel a Western prize.

There are no heroes in most of my stories. I look at our society with a critical eye and find nothing extraordinary in the people I see.

Freedom of expression must be considered sacred and thought can only be corrected by counter thought.

Excessive concern with religion seems to me a last resort for people who have been exhausted by life.

I love Sufism as I love beautiful poetry, but it is not the answer. Sufism is like a mirage in the desert. It says to you, come and sit, relax and enjoy yourself for a while.

I consider Khomeini's position dangerous. He does not have the right to pass judgment-that is not the Islamic way.

Literature should be more revolutionary than revolutions themselves; writers must find the means to continue to be critical of the negative elements in the sociopolitical reality.