The word "democracy" is a Western word obviously. It doesn't exist in Arabic. Democratiya is a loan word. We in the Western… — Bernard Lewis Copy Share Image
I think that the growing government control of the press is very clear. Turkey is still not a dictatorship, there is still… — 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
Mustafa Kemal's government was certainly authoritarian, but he had a saying which is profoundly true, I don't remember the exact words, but… — Bernard Lewis Copy Share Image
During the first formative centuries of its existence, Christianity was separated from and indeed antagonistic to the state, with which it only… — Bernard Lewis Copy Share Image
Muslims have their own traditions. The important point to bear in mind is that the whole Muslim tradition is totally and unequivocally… — 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 both force and intrigue to install or restore their puppet rulers in Middle Eastern countries; the other, that they were not reliable patrons when these puppets were seriously attacked by their own people, and would simply… — 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 Image
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 Image
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 Image
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 Image
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 Image
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 Image
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 Image
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 Image
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 Image
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 Image
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 Image
