“At the beginning of the twentieth century, every single leading Muslim...” — Karen Armstrong Quote

At the beginning of the twentieth century, every single leading Muslim intellectual was in love with the west, and wanted their countries to look just like Britain and France.

Religions have always stressed that compassion is not only central to religious life, it is the key to enlightenment and it the true test of spirituality. But there have always have been those who'd rather put easier goals, like doctrine conformity, in place.

I like silence; I'm a gregarious loner and without the solitude, I lose my gregariousness.

There are some forms of religion that are bad, just as there's bad cooking or bad art or bad sex, you have bad religion too.

The main purpose of the Thatcher government was to sort out Britain's failing economy.

I'm resigned to the fact that the corseted history of America is not as exciting as that of Britain.

You know the illusion of the cheap money is over and now Britain has to go out there and graft and earn its way and create wealth and prosperity in a very competitive world.

Britain is no longer one of the world's price setters. It is painful. It is a challenge to us in government to explain all that, and it is a pity that the political class is not preparing the public for it to understand how massive the problem is.