“You can’t be good to others if you’re not strict with yourself. The more shallow you are with yourself, the harsher you are with others. The more profound you are with yourself, the more generous you are with others” IfsProfoundBe GoodGenerousStrictShallow Author:Tariq Ramadan
“Islam can only be modernized from within. If I state that I condemn the practice of stoning, that this punishment is despicable, it changes nothing. My fellow Muslims will say: Brother Tariq, you became a European, a Swiss citizen, so you are no longer one of us.” IfsStatesPracticeBrotherCitizensFellowsIslamPunishmentDespicableSwiss Author:Tariq Ramadan
“If you know how to live, even death is good news” IfsKnowsKnow HowNewsGood News Author:Tariq Ramadan
“If you look at how we are destroying and disrespecting Creation it is obvious that is something is not clear in our understanding. We overemphasize rules but we don't understand the objective.” IfsLooksUnderstandingClearCreationObviousObjectivesDestroying Author:Tariq Ramadan
“In my book Radical Reform I made it clear that we cannot talk about the environment or ecology if we don't also deal with the economy. There is a direct link between how we deal with the economy and how we deal with nature.” IfsMadeBookDealsEconomyClearEnvironmentDirectMade ItRadicalReformLinksEcology Author:Tariq Ramadan
“Nature is telling us that if you don't respect the environment then you are living with artificial needs and a consumerism that is destroying the very conditions we need to survive.” IfsNeedsEnvironmentConditionsDestroyingArtificialConsumerism Author:Tariq Ramadan
“It's okay to feel the need for protection if there is a real external threat. But to feel protective from the inside, it's a kind of jail: you get so protective that you cannot get out of the box.” IfsNeedsFeelsKindRealOkayThreatBoxesProtectionJailProtective Author:Tariq Ramadan
“Pushing the limits, to be thought provoking, pushing people to think and question the limits, it's not always bad for the rules if you're confident because it can even strengthen your understanding of religion in the process.” PeopleIfsThinkingProcessUnderstandingLimitsPushingThought ProvokingProvoking Author:Tariq Ramadan
“If you look at how great artists of the past, like Beethoven, for example dealt with art and morality, you see that there was torture and pain in their work, but there was also dignity in the way that was dealt with. So I don't buy this contemporary notion that the only way to be artistic is to be arrogant, offensive or immoral.” IfsWayLooksArtPainPastArtistExampleMoralityDignityNotionContemporaryArtisticTortureArrogantOffensiveImmoralGreat ArtGreat Artist Author:Tariq Ramadan
“In my book, the Arab Awakening, I talk about the fact that we have to move from this. All the contemporary ideologies of political Islam have been based on the nation state. The nation state is very problematic but I'm not sure if we have an alternative political model.” IfsHas BeensBookStatesFactsMovingPoliticalNationsModelsIslamAwakeningContemporaryIdeologyAlternativesNot Sure Author:Tariq Ramadan
“We can think of solutions in various theoretical ways, but it's not so on the ground. If they don't have a reference that helps them to belong, then they will end up excluding, and through that they get to feel that they belong on the basis of some narrow identity, language or color.” IfsThinkingWayFeelsEndsHelpingLanguageIdentityColorSolutionsBasesVariousTheoretical Author:Tariq Ramadan
“"If we had not created a set of people against another the world would have been corrupt", and "against" here means two things: Against in the fact that they are challenging you with their diversity, challenging your intelligence and to challenge is not negative, it can be very positive depending on how you are challenged.” PeopleIfsWorldMeanHas BeensTwoFactsChallengesDiversityNegativeTwo ThingsVery Positive Author:Tariq Ramadan
“If we agree to say that those terrorists are indeed Muslim, I have no problem whatsoever to condemn their actions. I won't apologise though, or justify my point of view.” IfsProblemActionViewsAgreePoint Of ViewTerroristJustifyNo Problem Author:Tariq Ramadan
“You cannot limit the debate to being solely in favour or against. It should be more complex. When you condemn, you need to understand what led to it. In general, if it is our responsibility to condemn terrorist actions after they had happened, we have an even greater responsibility beforehand to make sure they won't happen.” IfsNeedsShouldHappensActionResponsibilityGreaterHappenedLimitsComplexesDebateTerroristFavour Author:Tariq Ramadan
“It is like using a smoke screen, the same thing for an individual. The topic here is Islam. If French politicians are no longer talking about Islam, they know they will have to talk about something else, which brings the spotlight on their inefficiency. They will have to talk about domestic social and economic issues and they will have to justify their foreign policy, which is obviously something they need to avoid at all costs.” IfsKnowsNeedsIndividualSocialTalkingIssuesEconomicPolicyPoliticianCostIslamScreensSmokeJustifyForeign PolicyTopicsSpotlightInefficiencyEconomic Issues Author:Tariq Ramadan
“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.” IfsWayLooksMadeBookAbleValuesEthicsTraditionUniversalBasesAimDiscussionTiesIslamicQuestsShared Values Author:Tariq Ramadan
“When I am talking to people from Germany, we should know that there are certain things and certain histories that are very important for people. If you look at all the Muslims living in the West, they didn't react in a violent way. They don't like what they saw but they are citizens like you and me and they look at it and say: "This is a silly video but we are not going to react."” PeopleIfsKnowsWayShouldLooksImportantCertainTalkingSawsLike YouCitizensWestSillyViolentVideoGermany Author:Tariq Ramadan
“I keep on repeating something told to me by an American psychologist: "When you are making a joke about someone and you are the only one to laugh, it is not a joke. It is a joke only for yourself." If people are making a joke they have the right to laugh at me but I will ignore them. Ignoring doesn't mean that you don't understand. You understand it so much that you don't want to react.” PeopleIfsWantMeanLaughingJokesPsychologist Author:Tariq Ramadan
“No one can deny that some Islamist groups have credential and popularity. But that does not mean they are a majority. If we are serious about democracy we cannot blame the people for choosing what they want. We must promote the kinds of procedures and processes that are helping the people move ahead.” PeopleIfsWantKindMeanDoeHelpingMovingProcessDemocracyGroupsSeriousBlameMajorityDenyPopularityProceduresMoving AheadIslamists Author:Tariq Ramadan
“I wouldn't call it naive but silly. History does not work like this. If you look at the dynamics of Eastern Europe or even Germany post reunification, you realize that change takes time. No one can deny the fact that we are still not there - I am advocating something which has to go from uprisings to revolutions. It is not coming straight away that it is not going to come but what we have to advocate is that the democratization process is always better than state dictatorship.” IfsLooksDoeStillsStatesFactsProcessRealizingRevolutionEuropeDenySillyPostsGermanyTake TimeDictatorshipEasternDynamicsAdvocatingUprisingEastern EuropeDemocratizationReunification Author:Tariq Ramadan
“I think we are making a mistake, a very big mistake if we look at what we call the Arab Awakening only by looking at the whole dynamics in political and not in economic terms.” IfsThinkingLooksWholeBigsPoliticalTermMistakeEconomicAwakeningMaking MistakesDynamicsBig Mistake Author:Tariq Ramadan
“Drafting of the constitutions is interesting and the discussions around them revealing in many ways. I take it as a discussion of very important symbols revealing many different problems. My take at the beginning was to warn that Tunisia might be the only successful country, the only one to justify us in talking about the spring, while all the other countries were less successful, if not failing. Now the point is that even in Tunisia it is not going to be easy, and this is where we have a problem.” IfsWayImportantDifferentCountryProblemMightEasyInterestingTalkingSuccessfulFailingSpringConstitutionSymbolsDiscussionJustifyOther CountriesRevealingDraftingTunisia Author:Tariq Ramadan
“If Barack Obama was to say Egypt, with the Muslim Brotherhood, is an ally, he's going to be destroyed here by, you know, the opposition saying, "How come you can say that the Islamists are your ally when these people are the same who are Hamas, and Hamas is against Israel?" It's the end of it. So he's saying, "We are just wait and see; we are trying to deal."” PeopleIfsKnowsTryingEndsWaitingDealsIsraelDestroyedBarackOppositionAlliesBrotherhoodEgyptHamasIslamistsMuslim Brotherhood Author:Tariq Ramadan
“Unsettled Middle East, in these times where the people are trying to find their way towards democracy, could be interesting for many reasons - for weapons to be sold, for new geostrategic interests to be protected, and something that we are not talking about, which is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The people who are lost in the whole discussion here are the Palestinians. We have demonstrations in Palestine in West Bank. Nobody is covering this. It's as if they don't exist anymore. And this is, in fact, central. And Israel is silent.” PeopleIfsWayTryingReasonWholeFactsLostInterestInterestingTalkingDemocracyMiddleConflictWeaponsSilentWestIsraelEastDiscussionMiddle EastProtectedPalestinianPalestineIsraeliDemonstrationCoveringNot TalkingIsraeli Palestinian Conflict Author:Tariq Ramadan
“The BRIC countries - Brazil, India, China, Turkey, South Africa, Indonesia even, and Russia - are now new actors. Over the last eight years, China multiplied by seven its economic presence and penetration in the Middle East. And if this happens on economic terms and there is a shift towards the East, the relationship between these countries and Israel is completely different from the United States. And it means that the challenges are going to be different, because China is not supporting Israel the way the U.S. are supporting Israel.” IfsWayYearsMeanDifferentCountryStatesHappensLastsActorsTermChallengesUnitedUnited StatesEconomicMiddleIndiaSouthSevenIsraelChinaEightEastRussiaMiddle EastSouth AfricaTurkeysIndonesiaBrazilPenetrationBrics Author:Tariq Ramadan
“If you do your work, if you are committed at the grassroots level, if you have a vision for the long run (not only short-sighted interest), you can change public opinion.” IfsLongRunningInterestLevelsVisionOpinionCommittedLong RunsPublic OpinionGrassrootsShort Sighted Author:Tariq Ramadan
“If you are only concerned with international issues and/or the power of some lobbies that are influencing American policy, then you are isolating yourselves. You are powerless in your mind when you don't understand the meaning and quality of your own real power.” IfsMindRealQualityIssuesInfluencePolicyConcernedInternationalPowerlessReal Power Author:Tariq Ramadan
“The singularity of Islam is its universality. As American citizens and as Muslims, you need to show there is something specific, namely our moral singularity. We believe there is one God and this one God is pushing us to reach universal values by liberating ourselves from our ego and by serving humanity. We must be involved in this by all means necessary, in a nonviolent way, through the legal, media, economic and cultural systems. We cannot achieve this if there is no courage, if we are not ready to sacrifice.” IfsWayNeedsBelieveMeanShowsValuesHumanityMoralSacrificeEconomicAchieveMediaReadyCitizensInvolvedEgoUniversalIslamPushingServingLiberatingNot ReadyAmerican CitizensSingularityUniversality Author:Tariq Ramadan
“What we get from all religions especially from the Prophet's life, peace be upon him, is that there is no way to reach peace if we are not ready to sacrifice, not ready to strive, not courageous enough to face the powers here and the dictators who don't care about humanity or human life.” IfsWayHumansEnoughCareFacesHumanitySacrificeReadyStriveDon't CareHuman LifeProphetCourageousDictatorNot Ready Author:Tariq Ramadan
“There must be a very clear understanding that you cannot work for peace if you are not ready to struggle. And this is the very meaning of jihad: to manage your intention to get your inner peace when it comes to the spiritual journey. In our society, that means face injustice and hypocrisy, face the dictators, the exploiters, the oppressors if you want to free the oppressed, if you want peace based on justice.” IfsWantMeanFacesSpiritualUnderstandingJusticeStruggleClearJourneyReadyIntentionInjusticeInner PeaceManageHypocrisyOur SocietyDictatorOppressedOppressorsNot ReadySpiritual JourneyJihadVery Mean Author:Tariq Ramadan
“Muslims, scholars or not, are on the side of the oppressed and never on the side of the oppressors. Some scholars claim they don't do politics but if you listen to their statements in the Middle East or in other conferences, they support corrupt regimes and despots, such as as-Sissi.” IfsSidesSupportMiddleClaimsEastStatementsRegimesScholarMiddle EastOppressedConferencesOppressorsDespots Author:Tariq Ramadan
“If people who cherish freedom, who know the importance of mutual respect and are aware of the imperative necessity to establish a constructive and critical debate, if these people are not ready to speak out, to be more committed and visible, then we can expect sad, painful tomorrows. The choice is ours.” PeopleIfsKnowsChoicesSpeakReadyTomorrowImportancePainfulCommittedCriticalDebateVisibleMutualCherishImperativesConstructiveNot ReadySpeaks OutMutual Respect Author:Tariq Ramadan
“Terror will crash down on us if we fail to understand that a pluralistic society requires the personal and daily commitment of every citizen.” IfsFailingCitizensCommitmentTerrorCrash Author:Tariq Ramadan
“My experience of living with people of diverse religions and cultures taught me that one will never be at peace with the other if one is at war with oneself.” PeopleIfsWarCultureTaughtOneselfDiverse Author:Tariq Ramadan
“If there is a smoke, there is a fire, the saying goes, That is quite true, but one should find what the fire is, and who lit it.” IfsShouldFireSmokeLit Book:What I Believe Source: What I Believe
“There is dignity in your being even if there's indignity in what you're doing.” IfsDignityIndignity Author:Tariq Ramadan
“If you want to have a good life, never forget that you are going to die” IfsWantDiesForgetNever ForgetGood Life Author:Tariq Ramadan
“If you read the Qur'an with your head, you find repetition. If you read it with your heart, you find depth.” IfsHeartDepthRepetition Author:Tariq Ramadan
