Tahar Ben Jelloun Quotes

A collection of quotes by Tahar Ben Jelloun.

Tahar Ben Jelloun is a Moroccan writer, poet, and essayist who was born on December 1, 1944, in Fes, Morocco. He is known for his significant contributions to French and Arabic literature, particularly for exploring themes of identity, cultural displacement, and the complex relationship between the East and the West.

After completing his secondary education in Morocco, Ben Jelloun moved to France in 1971 to further his studies. He obtained a PhD in Social Psychology from the University of Paris and began his literary career by publishing poems and short stories in Arabic and French. He gained recognition with his novel "The Sand Child" (1985), which won the prestigious Prix Goncourt, making him the first Maghrebi writer to receive this accolade.

Throughout his career, Ben Jelloun has published numerous novels, poetry collections, and essays that delve into the topics of human rights, political oppression, and cultural assimilation. His works often shed light on the experiences of Moroccans and explore the struggle for personal and societal liberation.

As a bilingual writer, Ben Jelloun skillfully combines elements of both French and Arabic literature, and his works have been translated into multiple languages. He has received various awards for his literary contributions, including the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award and the Prince of Asturias Award for Literature.

Tahar Ben Jelloun continues to be an influential and renowned figure in contemporary literature, offering insightful perspectives on the complex dynamics of cultural identity and the human condition.

It is through accepting other people in our own countries th

It is through accepting other people in our own countries that we shall come to respect our neighbours and be respected in our turn.

Tahar Ben Jelloun

Respect

Emigration is no longer a solution it's a defeat. People are

Emigration is no longer a solution it's a defeat. People are risking death, drowning every day, but they're knocking on doors that are not open.

Tahar Ben Jelloun

Death

My hope is that countries like Morocco will have investment

My hope is that countries like Morocco will have investment to create work, so people don't have to leave.

Tahar Ben Jelloun

Hope

People must insist on the right to say no, to be alone, to s

People must insist on the right to say no, to be alone, to stand out from the herd. Creative artists can say all this in their own way and in their own field, by hard, rigorous work.

Tahar Ben Jelloun

Alone

I love life in spite of all that mars it. I love friendship,

I love life in spite of all that mars it. I love friendship, jokes and laughter.

Tahar Ben Jelloun

Friendship

New ideas should confront old ideas. We must refer to the ex

New ideas should confront old ideas. We must refer to the example of Europe. People have fought to make Europe what it is today. Freedom is not something that is served up on a plate.

Tahar Ben Jelloun

Freedom

Beauty is first and foremost an emotion.

Beauty is first and foremost an emotion.

Tahar Ben Jelloun

Beauty

Poetry is a form of mathematics, a highly rigorous relations

Poetry is a form of mathematics, a highly rigorous relationship with words.

Tahar Ben Jelloun

Poetry

The world does not look to us in the Arab world out of a hea

The world does not look to us in the Arab world out of a healthy desire for knowledge.

Tahar Ben Jelloun

Knowledge

I came to poetry through the urgent need to denounce injusti

I came to poetry through the urgent need to denounce injustice, exploitation, humiliation. I know that's not enough to change the world. But to remain silent would have been a kind of intolerable complicity.

Tahar Ben Jelloun

Change

Intellectuals try to keep going. But their situation is very

Intellectuals try to keep going. But their situation is very difficult. Those who have had the courage to voice their opposition have often paid a very high price.

Tahar Ben Jelloun

Courage

Religion has to stay in the heart, not in politics. It is pr

Religion has to stay in the heart, not in politics. It is private.

Tahar Ben Jelloun

Politics

Real friendship, like real poetry, is extremely rare - and p

Real friendship, like real poetry, is extremely rare - and precious as a pearl.

Tahar Ben Jelloun

Friendship

We must have our say, not through violence, aggression or fe

We must have our say, not through violence, aggression or fear. We must speak out calmly and forcefully. We shall only be able to enter the new world era if we agree to engage in dialogue with the other side.

Tahar Ben Jelloun

Fear

For me, poetry is a situation - a state of being, a way of f

For me, poetry is a situation - a state of being, a way of facing life and facing history.

Tahar Ben Jelloun

Poetry

I write about wounds, the eternal treasons of life. It's not

I write about wounds, the eternal treasons of life. It's not very funny, but it's sincere. My commitment is to sincerity.

Tahar Ben Jelloun

Funny

Poetry is not only a set of words which are chosen to relate

Poetry is not only a set of words which are chosen to relate to each other it is something which goes much further than that to provide a glimpse of our vision of the world.

Tahar Ben Jelloun

Poetry

I have written about the dispossessed, immigrants, the condi

I have written about the dispossessed, immigrants, the condition of women who do not enjoy the same legal rights as men, the Palestinians who are deprived of their land and condemned to exile.

Tahar Ben Jelloun

Legal