'The Satanic Verses' was denied the ordinary life of a novel. It became something smaller and uglier: an insult.

If Turkey wants to join Europe, it will have to become a European country, and that might take a long time.

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

I don't dictate to anyone what to believe and what not to. And I don't want that to be dictated to me either.

But love is what we want, not freedom. Who then is the unluckier man? The beloved, who is given his heart's desire and must for ever after fear its loss, or the free man, with his unlooked-for liberty, naked and alone between the captive armies of the earth?

Free societies are societies in motion, and with motion comes friction.

I'd wanted to create a storm so that I could become more famous and richer.