Nationalism stems from catastrophes, whether they are caused by earthquakes or lost wars.

Most of the time it's not the Europeans who belittle us. What happens when we look at them is that we belittle ourselves. When we undertake the pilgrimage, it's not just to escape the tyranny at home but also to reach to the depths of our souls. The day arrives when the guilty must return to save those who could not find the courage to leave.

With the death of my father, it wasn't just the objects of everyday life that had changed; even the most ordinary street scenes had become irreplaceable mementos of a lost world whose every detail figured in the meaning of the whole.

It's very gratifying to me to see my works bringing people closer to my country.

Great changes in the direction of peace have often come from people who were no great advocates of peace to begin with.

My diary has its own kind of magic. It gives me the feeling of having accomplished something. On days when I don't have time for this, I feel tortured.

My unhappiness protects me from life.