The universe is pregnant with signs that recall the presence of the Creator.

If you read the Qur'an with your head, you find repetition. If you read it with your heart, you find depth.

We need to realize that we should be on the side of any human being who is oppressed.

There is great potential and deep fragility [in Malaysia] that can be used by any group that stresses on religion, pushing towards Islam, rejecting people and alienating migrants - anything can be used to win the next elections. So these are the signs of fragility that is very much there.

There is no faith, without a critical mind

Politics is mainly about interests. As Muslim citizens, we understand these interests but we should put principles and dignity beyond everything.

I look to Islamic ethics to find something that can provide the basis for shared values with other traditions, and ultimately universal values. This ties into the point I made in a book, 'The Quest for Meaning', that the only way for values to be universal is if they are shared universal values. My main point is, in this quest for value the aim is not to express your distinctness from others, but about being able to contribute to the discussion of universal value.