Quotessence
Home / Quotes / Quote by Alaa Al Aswany

Quote by Alaa Al Aswany

“What led to September 11 is that most decision makers in the White House thought like you. They supported despotic regimes in the Middle East to multiply the profits of oil and arms companies, and armed violence escalated and reached our shores.”

Quote by Alaa Al Aswany

Book:شيكاجو
Create image

Work

شيكاجو

Browse quotes and source details for this work. more

Author

Alaa Al Aswany
Alaa Al Aswany

Alaa Al Aswany is an acclaimed Egyptian writer whose works often address social and political issues in Egypt. Born on May 26, 1957, he has emerged as a leading figure in modern Arabic literature. more

You May Also Like

“Inevitably came the time when he angrily repudiated his former paladin Yasser Arafat. In fact, he described him to me as 'the Palestinian blend of Marshal Petaín and Papa Doc.' But the main problem, alas, remained the same. In Edward's moral universe, Arafat could at last be named as a thug and a practitioner of corruption and extortion. But he could only be identified as such to the extent that he was now and at last aligned with an American design. Thus the only truly unpardonable thing about 'The Chairman' was his readiness to appear on the White House lawn with Yitzhak Rabin and Bill Clinton in 1993. I have real knowledge and memory of this, because George Stephanopoulos—whose father's Orthodox church in Ohio and New York had kept him in touch with what was still a predominantly Christian Arab-American opinion—called me more than once from the White House to help beseech Edward to show up at the event. 'The feedback we get from Arab-American voters is this: If it's such a great idea, why isn't Said signing off on it?' When I called him, Edward was grudging and crabby. 'The old man [Arafat] has no right to sign away land.' Really? Then what had the Algiers deal been all about? How could two states come into being without mutual concessions on territory?”

United StatesNew YorkCorruptionWhite HouseTerritoryOhioChristiansIsraeli Palestinian ConflictArabsExtortionArafatBill ClintonEdward Said1993Vox PopuliFrancois DuvalierGeorge StephanopoulosPhilippe PetainYitzhak Rabin
Book:Hitch 22: A Memoir
Create image

“Sssh,’ she said, waving her hand. I had to get the news from the TV man. ‘Today, July second, 1964,’ he said, ‘the president of the United States signed the Civil Rights Act into law in the East Room of the White House…’ I looked over at Rosaleen, who sat there shaking her head, mumbling, ‘Lord have mercy,’ just looking so disbelieving and happy, like people on television when they have answered the $64,000 Question. I didn’t know whether to be excited for her or worried. All people ever talked about after church were the Negroes and whether they’d get their civil rights.”

PresidentWhite HouseCivil Rights Act Of 1964Lyndon B Johnson
Book:The Secret Life of Bees
Create image

“No one can imagine the kind of pressure being president of the U.S. imposes on an individual and how easily a president can be corrupted by power. To be in command of the most powerful country on earth, to be able to fly anywhere at a moment's notice, to be able to grant almost any wish, to take action that affects the lives of millions, is such a heady, intoxicating experience that only people with the most stable personalities and well-developed value systems can handle it.”

PoliticsBooksWhite HouseBiographyLibrariesFirst Lady Of The United States
Book:Laura Bush: An Intimate Portrait of the First Lady
Create image

“He always approached things with big ideas and objectives," Dan Evans said, "Find the best people you can to pursue those goals. Lead them in that direction. Give them leadership through your trust in them, your determination, your courage. You commit yourself to it a hundred percent. And when it's over, it's over, and you move on...”

PoliticsBooksWhite HouseBiographyLibrariesFirst Lady Of The United States
Book:Laura Bush: An Intimate Portrait of the First Lady
Create image