--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was filled with hate and anger. But…" description: "\"I was filled with hate and anger. But during my trial, something decisive happened: Amnesty International adopted me as a prisoner of conscience, and i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb6/maajid-nawaz-7798_amnesty-internationa_i-was-filled-with-hate-and-anger-but-dur_1753737.jpg" --- # I was filled with hate and anger. But during my trial… ![“I was filled with hate and anger. But during my trial, something decisive happened: Amnesty International adopted me as a prisoner of conscience, and it was an unbelievable feeling to know that there is someone fighting for you on the outside. Amnesty's 'soft' approach made me seriously consider…” quote by Maajid Nawaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb6/maajid-nawaz-7798_amnesty-internationa_i-was-filled-with-hate-and-anger-but-dur_1753737.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb6/maajid-nawaz-7798_amnesty-internationa_i-was-filled-with-hate-and-anger-but-dur_1753737.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb6/maajid-nawaz-7798_amnesty-internationa_i-was-filled-with-hate-and-anger-but-dur_1753737.jpg) > “I was filled with hate and anger. But during my trial, something decisive happened: Amnesty International adopted me as a prisoner of conscience, and it was an unbelievable feeling to know that there is someone fighting for you on the outside. Amnesty's 'soft' approach made me seriously consider alternatives to revenge.” [Maajid Nawaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maajid-nawaz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Facing hatred, the speaker found redemption through external advocacy, showing that support can redirect destructive emotions toward constructive paths. **In simple terms:** Support can turn hate into positive action. Key Takeaway Seek allies, choose peace over revenge. Themes forgiveness justice solidarity Mood reflective determined Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - personal crisis - activism - conflict resolution Key Concepts human rights psychology of anger Questions to Reflect On - How can you become a source of support for others? - What internal shifts are needed to replace revenge? A Different Perspective External validation may be fleeting; inner change is essential. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Amnesty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amnesty/) [Amnesty international](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amnesty-international/) [Anger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anger/) [Hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate/) [Hate And Anger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate-and-anger/) [Revenge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revenge/) ## Related quotes > [Amnesty International adopted me as a prisoner of conscience, and that led to my - it touched me in a way that really led…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maajid-nawaz/amnesty-international-adopted-me-as-a-prisoner-of-conscience-and-that/) [Maajid Nawaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maajid-nawaz/) > [...a political struggle that does not have women at the heart of it, above it, below it, and within it is no struggle at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/a-political-struggle-that-does-not-have-women-at-the-heart-of-it/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [There are works of fiction which seek to explain jihadi terrorists as the militant wing of Amnesty International. I don't buy that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-morris/there-are-works-of-fiction-which-seek-to-explain-jihadi-terrorists-as/) [Chris Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-morris/) > [Amnesty International continues to report that extra judicial tortures and murders continue. This is not democracy that we are exporting to Mexico, and this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-f-lynch/amnesty-international-continues-to-report-that-extra-judicial/) [Stephen F. Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-f-lynch/) > [We are way more powerful when we turn to each other and not on each other, when we celebrate our diversity, focus on our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-mckinney/we-are-way-more-powerful-when-we-turn-to-each-other-and-not-on-each/) [Cynthia McKinney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-mckinney/) > [I don't belong to a church or political party or a group of any kind. I feel that Amnesty International is the most civilized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sting/i-don-t-belong-to-a-church-or-political-party-or-a-group-of-any-kind/) [Sting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sting/) > [We tend to think of World War II and all the atrocities that happened, and people say, 'Never again.' But these things are still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-smits/we-tend-to-think-of-world-war-ii-and-all-the-atrocities-that-happened/) [Jimmy Smits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-smits/) > [I dream that someday the United States will be on the side of the peasants in some civil war. I dream that we will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-parenti/i-dream-that-someday-the-united-states-will-be-on-the-side-of-the/) [Michael Parenti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-parenti/) > [Growing up, I was a little hippie kid. I went to some good concerts... Amnesty International with Bob Dylan and Tracy Chapman... The best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/summer-sanders/growing-up-i-was-a-little-hippie-kid-i-went-to-some-good-concerts/) [Summer Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/summer-sanders/) > [Writing is powerful. Whether it's a little girl hiding from the Nazis in an attic, or Amnesty International writing letters on behalf of political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-gruwell/writing-is-powerful-whether-it-s-a-little-girl-hiding-from-the-nazis/) [Erin Gruwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-gruwell/) > [Today, aid to Colombia is given under the pretext of a drug war. That's pretty hard to take seriously. Ten years ago, Amnesty International…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/today-aid-to-colombia-is-given-under-the-pretext-of-a-drug-war-that-s/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [In Chicago, you have an absence of strong family units, and that absence gets filled by gangs. You have a failure in the school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupe-fiasco/in-chicago-you-have-an-absence-of-strong-family-units-and-that/) [Lupe Fiasco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupe-fiasco/) > [You wouldn't know that if you talked to Human Rights Watch or Amnesty International or some of the international activist organizations. Certainly you wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/you-wouldn-t-know-that-if-you-talked-to-human-rights-watch-or-amnesty/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [There are several dozen political prisoners in Russia. When I cite that number people are often very surprised. They often think there are more.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/there-are-several-dozen-political-prisoners-in-russia-when-i-cite/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [It means a great deal to those who are oppressed to know that they are not alone. And never let anyone tell you that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/it-means-a-great-deal-to-those-who-are-oppressed-to-know-that-they/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) ## More by Maajid Nawaz > [I was held in the Mazra Tora Prison for my role as leader of the pan-Islamist organisation Hizb ut-Tahrir in Alexandria.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maajid-nawaz/i-was-held-in-the-mazra-tora-prison-for-my-role-as-leader-of-the-pan/) [Maajid Nawaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maajid-nawaz/) > [Ironically, xenophobic nationalists are utilizing the benefits of globalization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maajid-nawaz/ironically-xenophobic-nationalists-are-utilizing-the-benefits-of/) [Maajid Nawaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maajid-nawaz/) > [I care not to debate which came first, Islamism or anti-Muslim bigotry; suffice to say that both feed into each other symbiotically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maajid-nawaz/i-care-not-to-debate-which-came-first-islamism-or-anti-muslim-bigotry/) [Maajid Nawaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maajid-nawaz/) > [Let me make this clear: it is our duty to adopt a policy barring the wearing of niqabs in these public buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maajid-nawaz/let-me-make-this-clear-it-is-our-duty-to-adopt-a-policy-barring-the/) [Maajid Nawaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maajid-nawaz/) > [Expressing myself through language was always something that I had had to learn to do more so than others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maajid-nawaz/expressing-myself-through-language-was-always-something-that-i-had/) [Maajid Nawaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maajid-nawaz/) > [Not all Muslims wish to express themselves in public through a communal religious identity. Identities are multiple, and some may wish to speak instead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maajid-nawaz/not-all-muslims-wish-to-express-themselves-in-public-through-a/) [Maajid Nawaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maajid-nawaz/) > [During my teenage years as an Islamist recruiter, I moved to live in self-contained communities in the London boroughs of Newham and Tower Hamlets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maajid-nawaz/during-my-teenage-years-as-an-islamist-recruiter-i-moved-to-live-in/) [Maajid Nawaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maajid-nawaz/) > [As people's opportunities to succumb to confirmation bias increases online - only seeking out information that confirms their prejudices - ignorance, extremism and close-mindedness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maajid-nawaz/as-people-s-opportunities-to-succumb-to-confirmation-bias-increases/) [Maajid Nawaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maajid-nawaz/) > [After much soul searching I was able to renounce my past Islamist ideology, challenging everything I was once prepared to die for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maajid-nawaz/after-much-soul-searching-i-was-able-to-renounce-my-past-islamist/) [Maajid Nawaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maajid-nawaz/) > [Chance explorations on search engines do not 'accidentally' lead users to extremist websites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maajid-nawaz/chance-explorations-on-search-engines-do-not-accidentally-lead-users/) [Maajid Nawaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maajid-nawaz/) > [I think I would encourage leaders to start working with communities in order to inoculate angry, young teenagers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maajid-nawaz/i-think-i-would-encourage-leaders-to-start-working-with-communities/) [Maajid Nawaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maajid-nawaz/) > [The way to tackle Muslimphobia is to tackle prejudice against Muslims. What it is not is to pretend that Islamist extremism does not exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maajid-nawaz/the-way-to-tackle-muslimphobia-is-to-tackle-prejudice-against-muslims/) [Maajid Nawaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maajid-nawaz/) > [Preying on the grievances of disaffected young men is the bedrock of Islamism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maajid-nawaz/preying-on-the-grievances-of-disaffected-young-men-is-the-bedrock-of/) [Maajid Nawaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maajid-nawaz/) > [No form of theocracy, whether it's manifested in a violent or non-violent form, is ever good for civilisation, and we have to challenge it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maajid-nawaz/no-form-of-theocracy-whether-it-s-manifested-in-a-violent-or-non/) [Maajid Nawaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maajid-nawaz/) > [One of the problems we're facing is, in my view, that there are no globalized, youth-led, grassroots social movements advocating for democratic culture across…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maajid-nawaz/one-of-the-problems-we-re-facing-is-in-my-view-that-there-are-no/) [Maajid Nawaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maajid-nawaz/) [Explore all 87 Maajid Nawaz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maajid-nawaz/) ## More Amnesty quotes > [I am strongly opposed to any form of amnesty, including, especially, executive amnesty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-scalise/i-am-strongly-opposed-to-any-form-of-amnesty-including-especially/) [Steve Scalise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-scalise/) > [How arrogant - how very far from humility - would be the self-satisfied, smug assurance that God, a tidy-up-after-us God will come and clean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/how-arrogant-how-very-far-from-humility-would-be-the-self-satisfied/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [Hillary Clinton has pledged to keep both of these illegal amnesty programs, including the 2014 amnesty which has been blocked by the United States…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/hillary-clinton-has-pledged-to-keep-both-of-these-illegal-amnesty/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [3 "amnesty" didn't mean rewarding illegal behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/3-amnesty-didn-t-mean-rewarding-illegal-behavior/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [Why don't Republicans spend all their airtime attacking the media for lying about what Obama's amnesty does and what the Democrats are doing? It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/why-don-t-republicans-spend-all-their-airtime-attacking-the-media-for/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [...we will not grant amnesty to illegal aliens in this Congress or, hopefully ever again. We did that once. Everybody said it was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-gramm/we-will-not-grant-amnesty-to-illegal-aliens-in-this-congress-or/) [Phil Gramm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-gramm/) > [ I take the Constitution very seriously. The biggest problems that we're facing right now have to do with \[the president\] trying to bring more… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-take-the-constitution-very-seriously-the-biggest-problems-that-we/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I worked 30 years to try to restore respect for the rule of law because of Ronald Reagan's amnesty in 1986. And I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-king/i-worked-30-years-to-try-to-restore-respect-for-the-rule-of-law/) [Steve King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-king/) > [You are going to hear many things from Mr. Trump today in his speech on immigration. One, no amnesty. He is absolutely going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellyanne-conway/you-are-going-to-hear-many-things-from-mr-trump-today-in-his-speech/) [Kellyanne Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellyanne-conway/) > [I supported this bill. I believe in the idea of amnesty for those who have put down roots and who have lived here even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-supported-this-bill-i-believe-in-the-idea-of-amnesty-for-those-who/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Amnesty is a disaster, we need strong borders. We have no country if we have no border. In New Hampshire, the biggest complaint is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/amnesty-is-a-disaster-we-need-strong-borders-we-have-no-country-if-we/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [no study has brought out any solid evidence that the death penalty deters crime. In fact, Amnesty reports that 'the murder rate in states…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoinette-bosco/no-study-has-brought-out-any-solid-evidence-that-the-death-penalty/) [Antoinette Bosco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoinette-bosco/) > [We try it practically every time it comes up, be it amnesty, be it any other issue they want. We try and it gets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/we-try-it-practically-every-time-it-comes-up-be-it-amnesty-be-it-any/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [ This bill \[Immigration Reform and Control act of 1986\] is a gamble, a riverboat gamble. There is no guarantee that employer sanctions will work… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-schumer/this-bill-immigration-reform-and-control-act-of-1986-is-a-gamble-a/) [Charles Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-schumer/) > [ No one believed \[the 1986 amnesty for illegal aliens\] was tough enough on illegal immigration, and it didn't give enough flexibility on future legal immigration. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-schumer/no-one-believed-the-1986-amnesty-for-illegal-aliens-was-tough-enough/) [Charles Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-schumer/) [Browse all 195 Amnesty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amnesty/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I was filled with hate and anger. 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