Tahar Ben Jelloun Quotes

Powerful Tahar Ben Jelloun for Daily Growth

About Tahar Ben Jelloun

Tahar Ben Jelloun (born October 1, 1947) is a renowned Moroccan writer and intellectual, known for his profound contributions to Maghrebi literature. Born in Fez, Morocco, he grew up in a conservative Muslim family where education was highly valued. His father, a schoolteacher, instilled in him a love for reading at an early age. Ben Jelloun's life took a transformative turn when he moved to Paris, France, in 1970, seeking higher education and artistic freedom. There, he studied law but found his true passion in writing. His experiences of cultural clash, racial discrimination, and identity crises in Europe became powerful themes in his works. His first novel, "The Sand Child" (1985), was a seminal work that explored the struggle between tradition and modernity, and the impact of colonialism on Maghrebi society. The novel brought him international acclaim and established him as a significant voice in postcolonial literature. Another notable work is "The Sacred Night" (1989), a powerful narrative about interracial love and the challenges faced by mixed-race children in Europe. This novel was adapted into a film, further expanding Ben Jelloun's influence. In 2000, Ben Jelloun published "Rock the Casbah," a controversial work that criticized the veiling of women in Islam. The book sparked heated debates and led to death threats, but it also underscored his commitment to challenging societal norms and promoting open dialogue. Today, Tahar Ben Jelloun continues to write, teaching and inspiring new generations of writers worldwide. His works have been translated into over 40 languages, making him a global literary figure who uses his pen to shed light on the complexities of identity, culture, and society.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"The only way to love a person is to see all of their makeup - not their face."

This quote by Tahar Ben Jelloun suggests that true love requires seeing beyond superficial aspects, such as physical appearance or social roles, and acknowledging the essence of a person, their thoughts, feelings, and individuality. In other words, love is not just about what we can see on the surface, but understanding the complexities and depths hidden beneath.


"To write is to have two souls."

This quote by Tahar Ben Jelloun suggests that the act of writing is a dualistic experience, reflecting both the writer's personal identity and the characters they create. In essence, when one writes, they embody two distinct but interconnected entities – the author, who shares their own thoughts, emotions, and experiences, and the fictional persona they bring to life on paper. Writing allows individuals to explore different aspects of themselves, fostering introspection and self-discovery while also expressing stories that resonate with others.


"Silence is the greatest argument against an unjust system."

Tahar Ben Jelloun's quote emphasizes that in circumstances where a system is unjust or oppressive, those who are affected often find themselves without words to express their suffering or grievances. The silence of the oppressed serves as an eloquent argument against the system, highlighting its injustice and lack of fairness. This quote suggests that every voice matters, and by remaining silent, people demand change, challenge power structures, and call for justice. It's a powerful statement that amplifies the collective cries for freedom, equality, and human rights.


"I dream of a world where there is room for all dreams."

Tahar Ben Jelloun's quote envisions a global society that not only tolerates but actively embraces diversity, allowing every individual to pursue their unique aspirations and visions without fear or prejudice. It signifies a world where everyone's dreams, regardless of origin, culture, or circumstance, are respected and given an equal chance to flourish.


"We are each other's angels, helping one another to find the lost parts of ourselves."

This quote by Tahar Ben Jelloun emphasizes empathy, mutual aid, and self-discovery in human relationships. It suggests that we, as individuals, have a responsibility towards each other: to assist, guide, and support one another through our shared experiences of life. In doing so, we help ourselves find the lost or hidden aspects of our own selves that may be obscured by personal biases, societal expectations, or inner struggles. Essentially, this quote emphasizes the importance of connection, understanding, and self-exploration in a collective human journey towards self-realization.


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

- Tahar Ben Jelloun

Love, Friendship, I Love, Spite

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, Every Day, Emigration, Risking

We must stop posing as victims of the West and behaving negatively towards the West. We must participate with the West on an equal footing in the reconstruction of the world.

- Tahar Ben Jelloun

Participate, Towards, Behaving

I am a guest of the French language. My poems in French are born of my interaction with the French language, which is not the same as that of a French poet.

- Tahar Ben Jelloun

Language, Born, Which, French Language

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

Enjoy, About, Exile, Dispossessed

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

New, Old, Fought, Old Ideas

I'd thought sexuality was instinctive or natural, but it's profoundly linked to inner security and cultural context.

- Tahar Ben Jelloun

Cultural, Instinctive, Context

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

Injustice, Through, Been, Exploitation

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

Voice, Going, Very, High Price

We do not have many intellectuals who can speak out for us internationally. We have no writers who are recognized, respected and loved outside the Arab world.

- Tahar Ben Jelloun

Recognized, Writers, Many, Internationally

I don't feel guilty about expressing myself in French; nor do I feel that I am continuing the work of the colonizers.

- Tahar Ben Jelloun

Work, Myself, About, French

We have no Arab intellectuals of international stature because we live in a state of generalized mediocrity. We are suspended in the pit without touching the bottom.

- Tahar Ben Jelloun

Touching, Bottom, Suspended, Generalized

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

- Tahar Ben Jelloun

Mathematics, Words, Form, Rigorous

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

Own, Through, Other, Accepting

There is a gulf between the Arab peoples and Arab intellectuals.

- Tahar Ben Jelloun

Between, Intellectuals, Arab, Gulf

What have we achieved since the end of the Second World War? We have allowed petty, bourgeois regimes in which everything is average, mediocre.

- Tahar Ben Jelloun

Average, Bourgeois, Which, Regimes

I belong to a specific category of writers, those who speak and write in a language different from that of their parents.

- Tahar Ben Jelloun

Language, Belong, Writers, Category

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

- Tahar Ben Jelloun

World, Desire, Does, Arab World

In the Arab world, there is no link between the cultural habits of peoples and the ways of thinking and creating of modern intellectuals. They are two separate worlds.

- Tahar Ben Jelloun

Habits, Separate, Worlds, Arab World

An individual voice can be heard in a choir that otherwise sings in unison. This is something that is not excused.

- Tahar Ben Jelloun

Voice, Otherwise, Sings, Excused

A modern civilization is only possible when it is accepted that singular beings exist and express themselves freely.

- Tahar Ben Jelloun

Civilization, Accepted, Freely

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

Work, Own, Say, Rigorous

I am a Moroccan writer of French expression.

- Tahar Ben Jelloun

I Am, Expression, Writer, French

I do not use the language of my people. I can take liberties with certain themes which the Arabic language would not allow me to take.

- Tahar Ben Jelloun

Use, Allow, Which, Arabic

This universe can very well be expressed in words and syllables which are not those of one's mother tongue.

- Tahar Ben Jelloun

Tongue, Very, Which, Expressed

I read a poem every night, as others read a prayer.

- Tahar Ben Jelloun

Prayer, Poem, Read, Every Night

The mistake we make is to attribute to religions the errors and fanaticism of human beings.

- Tahar Ben Jelloun

Mistake, Fanaticism, Errors

At 21, I discovered repression and injustice. The army would shoot students with real bullets.

- Tahar Ben Jelloun

Injustice, Army, Discovered, Bullets

Be vigilant, for nothing one achieves lasts forever.

- Tahar Ben Jelloun

Nothing, Lasts, Achieves, Vigilant

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

Through, Other, Our, Calmly

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