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Quotes by Iranian Authors

"Rumi, who is one of the greatest Persian poets, said that the truth was a mirror in the hands of God. It fell, and broke into pieces. Everybody took a piece of it, and they looked at it and thought they had the truth."
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Mohsen Makhmalbaf
"Rumi, who is one of the greatest Persian poets, said that the truth was a mirror in the hands of God. It fell, and broke into pieces. Everybody took a piece of it, and they looked at it and thought they had the truth."
"I hope the example of Saddam Hussein will give a lesson to leaders of other countries where human rights are not respected."
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Shirin Ebadi
"I hope the example of Saddam Hussein will give a lesson to leaders of other countries where human rights are not respected."
"I have no idea what the U.S. intends to do further there and what would be the reaction of the Iraqi people. I only know that the sole option is to leave Iraq to the Iraqi people."
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Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
"I have no idea what the U.S. intends to do further there and what would be the reaction of the Iraqi people. I only know that the sole option is to leave Iraq to the Iraqi people."
"The honor of about 30 million votes remains with the Iranian nation and no enemy scheme would take away this dignity and honor from the Iranian nation."
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Ayatollah Khamenei
"The honor of about 30 million votes remains with the Iranian nation and no enemy scheme would take away this dignity and honor from the Iranian nation."
"I wanted to be left alone to live my life, so it was very easy for people to pretend that they were me."
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Mohsen Makhmalbaf
"I wanted to be left alone to live my life, so it was very easy for people to pretend that they were me."
"If one commits the act of sodomy with a cow, an ewe, or a camel, their urine and their excrements become impure, and even their milk may no longer be consumed. The animal must then be killed and as quickly as possible and burned."
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Ayatollah Khomeini
"If one commits the act of sodomy with a cow, an ewe, or a camel, their urine and their excrements become impure, and even their milk may no longer be consumed. The animal must then be killed and as quickly as possible and burned."
"Technical knowledge has now become an integral aspect of the Iranian psyche."
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Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
"Technical knowledge has now become an integral aspect of the Iranian psyche."
"I'm not playing myself. It's a symbolic situation, where I want to introduce a fascist behind the table. I couldn't have had anybody else do that; for it to be successful, I had to do it myself."
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Mohsen Makhmalbaf
"I'm not playing myself. It's a symbolic situation, where I want to introduce a fascist behind the table. I couldn't have had anybody else do that; for it to be successful, I had to do it myself."
"When I talk about the assets, that was at the beginning of the talks. I was president then. I'm not president now. When I said it, this would be a sign of goodwill to begin the talks."
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Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
"When I talk about the assets, that was at the beginning of the talks. I was president then. I'm not president now. When I said it, this would be a sign of goodwill to begin the talks."
"I've heard about brothers making films, but I've never heard about whole families making films like this. We didn't intend to do it; it wasn't something that we planned - it just gradually happened."
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Mohsen Makhmalbaf
"I've heard about brothers making films, but I've never heard about whole families making films like this. We didn't intend to do it; it wasn't something that we planned - it just gradually happened."
"How can you defy fear? Fear is a human instinct, just like hunger. Whether you like it or not, you become hungry. Similarly with fear. But I have learned to train myself to live with this fear."
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Shirin Ebadi
"How can you defy fear? Fear is a human instinct, just like hunger. Whether you like it or not, you become hungry. Similarly with fear. But I have learned to train myself to live with this fear."
"When I came out, and for many years afterwards, it had become a habit for me to sit and read and read and read, like an obsession. I would take 20 books, and not come out until I'd finished them. It took me a while to change that habit."
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Mohsen Makhmalbaf
"When I came out, and for many years afterwards, it had become a habit for me to sit and read and read and read, like an obsession. I would take 20 books, and not come out until I'd finished them. It took me a while to change that habit."
"Both of them were the children of the United States. They sacrificed their children for the benefit of the others. But they were not very devoted children of the United States."
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Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
"Both of them were the children of the United States. They sacrificed their children for the benefit of the others. But they were not very devoted children of the United States."
"The Iranian government intends to use the nuclear program for peaceful purposes, but must convince international public opinion of that."
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Shirin Ebadi
"The Iranian government intends to use the nuclear program for peaceful purposes, but must convince international public opinion of that."
"I myself had to grow a longer beard and Afghan clothes. I was in danger of being kidnapped by smugglers, though I didn't know it at the time."
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Mohsen Makhmalbaf
"I myself had to grow a longer beard and Afghan clothes. I was in danger of being kidnapped by smugglers, though I didn't know it at the time."
"Have patience. All things are difficult before they become easy."
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Saadi
"Have patience. All things are difficult before they become easy."
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38
"I maintain that nothing useful and lasting can emerge from violence."
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Shirin Ebadi
"I maintain that nothing useful and lasting can emerge from violence."
"Iranians defend and present their Islamic and Iranian identity to other people worldwide."
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Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
"Iranians defend and present their Islamic and Iranian identity to other people worldwide."
"Whenever you argue with another wiser than yourself in order that others may admire your wisdom, they will discover your ignorance."
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Saadi
"Whenever you argue with another wiser than yourself in order that others may admire your wisdom, they will discover your ignorance."
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35
"The system of domination is founded on depriving nations of their true identity. It seeks to deprive nations of their culture, identity, self-confidence and in this way dominate them."
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Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
"The system of domination is founded on depriving nations of their true identity. It seeks to deprive nations of their culture, identity, self-confidence and in this way dominate them."
"The important matter is freedom. When the people choose what they want, it is good for them and for us."
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Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
"The important matter is freedom. When the people choose what they want, it is good for them and for us."
"For hundreds of years Iranians have been migrating to many parts of the world. They took Islamic culture to other parts of the world and established it there."
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Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
"For hundreds of years Iranians have been migrating to many parts of the world. They took Islamic culture to other parts of the world and established it there."
"If we have any problems, it's always with the government of the United States."
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Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
"If we have any problems, it's always with the government of the United States."
"Energy is a concept that has been coined by physicists. There is no observable thing known as energy anywhere."
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Abdolkarim Soroush
"Energy is a concept that has been coined by physicists. There is no observable thing known as energy anywhere."
"Our dear country, Iran, throughout history has been subject to threats."
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Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
"Our dear country, Iran, throughout history has been subject to threats."
"Our enemies can deal a blow to us any time they wish. They did not wait for permission to do this. They do not deal a blow with prior notice. They do not take action because they can't."
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Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
"Our enemies can deal a blow to us any time they wish. They did not wait for permission to do this. They do not deal a blow with prior notice. They do not take action because they can't."
"We believe that visa quotas should be lifted and people should visit anywhere they wish freely."
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Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
"We believe that visa quotas should be lifted and people should visit anywhere they wish freely."
"We must break problems down into small, digestible bits. We must define the concepts that we use and explain what components they consist of. We must tackle small problems."
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Abdolkarim Soroush
"We must break problems down into small, digestible bits. We must define the concepts that we use and explain what components they consist of. We must tackle small problems."
"From 7 in the morning to 11 at night, I was reading. I don't think one can find any other time in one's life to be left alone so much to read in peace like that."
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Mohsen Makhmalbaf
"From 7 in the morning to 11 at night, I was reading. I don't think one can find any other time in one's life to be left alone so much to read in peace like that."
"When the belly is empty, the body becomes spirit; and when it is full, the spirit becomes body."
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Saadi
"When the belly is empty, the body becomes spirit; and when it is full, the spirit becomes body."
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"I was in jail four and a half years. When I came out, I continued the same struggle against injustice, but instead of using weapons, I began to use art and cinema."
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Mohsen Makhmalbaf
"I was in jail four and a half years. When I came out, I continued the same struggle against injustice, but instead of using weapons, I began to use art and cinema."
"We want all the Palestinians back in their homeland, and then there can be a fair referendum for people to choose the form of state they want. Whoever gets the majority can rule."
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Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
"We want all the Palestinians back in their homeland, and then there can be a fair referendum for people to choose the form of state they want. Whoever gets the majority can rule."
"When we began filming, these people had legs, but as we were filming, they had been injured and they were brought to the hospital to have their legs amputated, and that's where we found them and asked them to come and be part of the film."
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Mohsen Makhmalbaf
"When we began filming, these people had legs, but as we were filming, they had been injured and they were brought to the hospital to have their legs amputated, and that's where we found them and asked them to come and be part of the film."
"Most of the birds of the Old World can be found here, as Oman is on a strategic route for migrating birds."
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Saadi
"Most of the birds of the Old World can be found here, as Oman is on a strategic route for migrating birds."
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28
"Those who insist on having hostilities with us, kill and destroy the option of friendship with us in the future, which is unfortunate because it is clear the future belongs to Iran and that enmities will be fruitless."
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Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
"Those who insist on having hostilities with us, kill and destroy the option of friendship with us in the future, which is unfortunate because it is clear the future belongs to Iran and that enmities will be fruitless."
"Oman overall has great animal and plant biodiversity because it has mountains, desert, coastal areas and rich coral reefs."
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Saadi
"Oman overall has great animal and plant biodiversity because it has mountains, desert, coastal areas and rich coral reefs."
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27
"If I make two films in a year, they'll be different. This is my style - I can't have just one way."
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Mohsen Makhmalbaf
"If I make two films in a year, they'll be different. This is my style - I can't have just one way."
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27
"Usually people like to categorise artists. With my films, I categorise people: if I know which one of my movies you like, I can tell which kind of a person you are."
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Mohsen Makhmalbaf
"Usually people like to categorise artists. With my films, I categorise people: if I know which one of my movies you like, I can tell which kind of a person you are."
"We don't have any bad memories of the people of the United States."
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Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
"We don't have any bad memories of the people of the United States."
"The style depends on the subject."
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Mohsen Makhmalbaf
"The style depends on the subject."
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26
"From my films, you can at least learn about Iran, you can get a sense of the history and the society. But no such films have been made about Afghanistan, so you really can't know much about it."
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Mohsen Makhmalbaf
"From my films, you can at least learn about Iran, you can get a sense of the history and the society. But no such films have been made about Afghanistan, so you really can't know much about it."
"In many of the things that people do, they themselves are the centre of attention, but they inscribe some other name on their banner."
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Abdolkarim Soroush
"In many of the things that people do, they themselves are the centre of attention, but they inscribe some other name on their banner."
"The United States is a big country but unfortunately it seems it has the brain of a little bird not befitting the greatness of the country."
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Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
"The United States is a big country but unfortunately it seems it has the brain of a little bird not befitting the greatness of the country."
"One can not impede scientific progress."
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Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
"One can not impede scientific progress."
"Shah is a kind of magic word with the Persian people."
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Mohammed Reza Pahlavi
"Shah is a kind of magic word with the Persian people."
"Nuclear energy is the scientific achievement of the Iranian nation."
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Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
"Nuclear energy is the scientific achievement of the Iranian nation."
"It is not just for a few states to sit and veto global approvals."
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Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
"It is not just for a few states to sit and veto global approvals."
"I'm not satisfied with the progress of the work, but I am happy that the talks are going on. It might have a negative effect if the United States joins."
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Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
"I'm not satisfied with the progress of the work, but I am happy that the talks are going on. It might have a negative effect if the United States joins."
"The problem is that the Iraqi people are facing atrocities from both sides - Zarqawi and also the American troops at times. The Zarqawi groups uses car bombs, the Americans use other bombs. You also know what they do in the prisons."
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Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
"The problem is that the Iraqi people are facing atrocities from both sides - Zarqawi and also the American troops at times. The Zarqawi groups uses car bombs, the Americans use other bombs. You also know what they do in the prisons."
"Sadly the job security of lawyers has been ruined, so they are less willing to defend political defendants."
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Shirin Ebadi
"Sadly the job security of lawyers has been ruined, so they are less willing to defend political defendants."
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