The suicide bomber's imagination leads him to believe in a brilliant act of heroism, when in fact he is simply blowing himself up pointlessly and taking other people's lives.

There is a point beyond which conciliation looks like capitulation. I do not believe I passed that point, but others have thought otherwise.

If you're offended, it's your problem.

Even when things are at their worst, there's a little voice in your head saying, 'Good story!'

It matters, it always matters, to name rubbish as rubbish; that to do otherwise is to legitimize it.

Where there is no belief, there is no blasphemy.

In Iran, fundamentalism was fuelled to an extent by the regime of the Shah being supported by the West.