I defend both the freedom of expression and societys right to counter it. I must pay the price for differing. It is the natural way of things. – Naguib Mahfouz
I believe society has a right to defend itself, just as the individual has the right to attack that with which he disagrees. – Naguib Mahfouz
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. – Naguib Mahfouz
I accepted the interviews and encounters that had to be held with the media, but I would have preferred to work in peace. – Naguib Mahfouz
All of us encounter, at least once in our life, some individual who utters words that make us think forever. There are men whose phrases are oracles; who can condense in one sentence the secrets of life; who blurt out an aphorism that forms a character, or illustrates an existence. – Benjamin Disraeli