A remarkable feature of Islam is that it gives dignity even to the humblest illiterate peasants. It gives them a certain human… — Bernard Lewis Copy Share Image
In most of the countries in the Muslim world today, most of them are autocratic regimes that are unpopular if not detested… — Bernard Lewis Copy Share Image
You see in the Muslim traditions, it's very clear: maintaining law and consultation, not being arbitrary and oppressive. Consultation. And also in… — Bernard Lewis Copy Share Image
Islam explicitly rejects dictatorship and there are no traditions of the Prophet or passages in the Qur'an which clearly give dictators this… — Bernard Lewis Copy Share Image
Islam does give human dignity, certainly. The point I wanted to make is that it is great foolishness to try to impose… — Bernard Lewis Copy Share Image
Islam and Islamic values now have a level of immunity from comment and criticism in the Western world that Christianity has lost… — Bernard Lewis Copy Share Image
If the conflict is about the size of Israel, then long and difficult negotiations can eventually resolve the problem. But if the… — Bernard Lewis Copy Share Image
In opposing we always talk about freedom in the Western world, Muslims always talk about justice. Very often we mean the same… — Bernard Lewis Copy Share Image
I know it is said repeatedly that I was in support of the American invasion in Iraq. It is simply not true.… — Bernard Lewis Copy Share Image
It is difficult to generalize about Islam. To begin with, the word itself is commonly used with two related but distinct meanings,… — Bernard Lewis Copy Share Image
Muslims are very keenly aware of the history of their community, of the history of that relationship between their community and the… — Bernard Lewis Copy Share Image
Muslims naturally saw Christendom as their arch rival. One point that is really important to bear in mind, particularly in addressing an… — Bernard Lewis Copy Share Image
“As Osama bin Laden puts it: "In this final phase of the ongoing struggle, the world of the infidels was divided between… — Bernard Lewis Copy Share Image
In the Christian world, as you remember, Christianity is in the 21st century, Islam is in the 15th century. I don't mean… — Bernard Lewis Copy Share Image
They call themselves Sephardic Jews, but that's not the important thing. The important thing is that some come from the Muslim world… — Bernard Lewis Copy Share Image
“[...] the governor of the Hijaz sent an order to the district governor of Mecca prohibiting the trade in slaves. The district… — Bernard Lewis Copy Share Image
“ (Note: The following was written in 2003, before the full implication of US military commitment in Afghanistan and Iraq could be… — Bernard Lewis Copy Share Image
Blaming the imperialists nowadays is obviously absurd, as is blaming the Americans, who obviously don't have the slightest desire to control anything… — Bernard Lewis Copy Share Image
My position on that has been misrepresented again and again and again in the media. Let me make it clear. There are… — Bernard Lewis Copy Share Image
I think the important point which I've been trying to get across is that Islam, from the very beginning, is strongly, clearly… — Bernard Lewis Copy Share Image
I think confronted with the modern world or with the rest of the world, I think people are becoming aware that the… — Bernard Lewis Copy Share Image
The Cold War philosophy of Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD), which prevented the former Soviet Union and the United States from using the… — Bernard Lewis Copy Share Image
“Different groups in the [Middle East] drew two lessons from [return of the shah in Iran] - one, that Americans were willing to use… — Bernard Lewis Copy Share
The Cold War philosophy of Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD), which prevented the former Soviet Union and the United States from using the nuclear weapons… — Bernard Lewis Copy Share
You see in the Muslim traditions, it's very clear: maintaining law and consultation, not being arbitrary and oppressive. Consultation. And also in the Muslim… — Bernard Lewis Copy Share
To accept the story of the Arab destruction of the library of Alexandria, one must explain how it is that so dramatic an event… — Bernard Lewis Copy Share
I know it is said repeatedly that I was in support of the American invasion in Iraq. It is simply not true. I was… — Bernard Lewis Copy Share
Certainly Tunisia was the first in Muslim world. It's been like that for a long time and women play an important part in Tunisia.… — Bernard Lewis Copy Share
In the West nowadays, it's very common to talk about the Judeo- Christian tradition. It's a common term. The term is relatively modern but… — Bernard Lewis Copy Share
When we talk about the Judeo-Christian or the Judeo-Muslim tradition, it's important to remember that we are speaking of a Jewish component of civilization,… — Bernard Lewis Copy Share
In opposing we always talk about freedom in the Western world, Muslims always talk about justice. Very often we mean the same thing. But… — Bernard Lewis Copy Share
You see in Turkey, they had a remarkable success story in building up a democracy. I was in Istanbul for most of the year… — Bernard Lewis Copy Share
The word "democracy" is a Western word obviously. It doesn't exist in Arabic. Democratiya is a loan word. We in the Western world make… — Bernard Lewis Copy Share
In the Christian world, as you remember, Christianity is in the 21st century, Islam is in the 15th century. I don't mean to say… — Bernard Lewis Copy Share
It is difficult to generalize about Islam. To begin with, the word itself is commonly used with two related but distinct meanings, as the… — Bernard Lewis Copy Share
“Those who are unwilling to confront the past will be unable to understand the present and unfit to face the future.” — Bernard Lewis Copy Share
“ (Note: The following was written in 2003, before the full implication of US military commitment in Afghanistan and Iraq could be fully appreciated.… — Bernard Lewis Copy Share
![“[...] the governor of the Hijaz sent an order to the district governor of Mecca prohibiting the trade in slaves. The district governor was instructed to read the order aloud at the Shari a court of Mecca in the presence of the ulema and the sharifs. This took place on October 30, 1855 [...] This…” quote by Bernard Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/q/img-quotes/d4f/bernard-lewis-11653_slave-trade_the-governor-of-the-hijaz-sent-an-order_1731904.jpg)
