--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Because I've always felt, whether the…" description: "\"Because I've always felt, whether the fatwa or whatever, the writer's great weapon is the truth and integrity of his voice. And as long as what you're ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d1/salman-rushdie-153_believe_because-i-ve-always-felt-whether-the-fat_2100402.jpg" --- # Because I've always felt, whether the fatwa or whatever… ![“Because I've always felt, whether the fatwa or whatever, the writer's great weapon is the truth and integrity of his voice. And as long as what you're saying is what you truly, honestly believe to be the case, then whatever the consequences, that's fine. That's an honorable position.” quote by Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d1/salman-rushdie-153_believe_because-i-ve-always-felt-whether-the-fat_2100402.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d1/salman-rushdie-153_believe_because-i-ve-always-felt-whether-the-fat_2100402.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d1/salman-rushdie-153_believe_because-i-ve-always-felt-whether-the-fat_2100402.jpg) > “Because I've always felt, whether the fatwa or whatever, the writer's great weapon is the truth and integrity of his voice. And as long as what you're saying is what you truly, honestly believe to be the case, then whatever the consequences, that's fine. That's an honorable position.” [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Truth and integrity give a writer power; honest belief outweighs fear of consequences. **In simple terms:** Honest voice is powerful. Key Takeaway Speak truthfully despite risk. Themes integrity truth courage Mood reflective determined Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - publishing - political dissent - personal conviction Key Concepts authenticity ethical responsibility Questions to Reflect On - Do you ever self‑censor? - How does honesty shape impact? A Different Perspective Risk may bring personal loss or backlash. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Cases](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cases/) [Consequence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consequence/) [Fatwa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fatwa/) [Fatwa Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fatwa-writer-4193503/) [Felt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/felt/) [Felt Fatwa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/felt-fatwa-4193504/) [Fine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fine/) [Honestly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honestly/) [Honorable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honorable/) [Integrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/integrity/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Position](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/position/) [Truly Honestly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truly-honestly-404353/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Truth Integrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-integrity-347536/) [Voice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voice/) [Weapons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weapons/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“The police arrived and went to question the driver of the truck, who was still sitting in his cab, scratching his head. The truck…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/the-police-arrived-and-went-to-question-the-driver-of-the-truck-who/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“Nobody ever wanted to go to war, but if a war came your way, it might as well be the right war, about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/nobody-ever-wanted-to-go-to-war-but-if-a-war-came-your-way-it-might/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [Some people are paralyzed by the consciousness of death, other people live with it… The fatwa certainly made me think about it a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/some-people-are-paralyzed-by-the-consciousness-of-death-other-people/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [So to be standing here, this was really, truly, honestly never part of anything we even imagined in our wildest dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-boal/so-to-be-standing-here-this-was-really-truly-honestly-never-part-of/) [Mark Boal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-boal/) > [The only life worth living is a life you are truly and honestly passionate about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-only-life-worth-living-is-a-life-you-are-truly-and-honestly/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [“Because I have to admit: there's something really badass about truly, honestly not caring what people think about you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becky-albertalli/because-i-have-to-admit-there-s-something-really-badass-about-truly/) [Becky Albertalli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becky-albertalli/) > [Women who are stunningly beautiful are women who... love truly and honestly without demanding that they be loved in return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stasi-eldredge/women-who-are-stunningly-beautiful-are-women-who-love-truly-and/) [Stasi Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stasi-eldredge/) > [I am quite certain in my heart of hearts that modern music and modern art is not a conspiracy, but is a form of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tippett/i-am-quite-certain-in-my-heart-of-hearts-that-modern-music-and-modern/) [Michael Tippett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tippett/) > [“Telling the truth to yourself is Integrity; Telling the truth to others is Honesty; Telling the truth with no fear or intimidation is Bravity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/telling-the-truth-to-yourself-is-integrity-telling-the-truth-to/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [Honest communication is built on truth and integrity and upon respect of the one for the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-e-mays/honest-communication-is-built-on-truth-and-integrity-and-upon-respect/) [Benjamin E. Mays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-e-mays/) > [“You can't search for the truth with integrity if you're only looking to find the kind that benefits you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-bain-murphy/you-can-t-search-for-the-truth-with-integrity-if-you-re-only-looking/) [Emily Bain Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-bain-murphy/) > ['Last Resort,' to me, is very much about finding truth and integrity in an extraordinary situation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessy-schram/last-resort-to-me-is-very-much-about-finding-truth-and-integrity-in/) [Jessy Schram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessy-schram/) > [“Truth and integrity must be so rare these days that it confuses people when they hear it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-lynn-hope/truth-and-integrity-must-be-so-rare-these-days-that-it-confuses/) [Donna Lynn Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-lynn-hope/) > [Honesty is telling the truth to ourselves and others. Integrity is living that truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-blanchard/honesty-is-telling-the-truth-to-ourselves-and-others-integrity-is/) [Ken Blanchard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-blanchard/) > [“When the Washington Post telephoned me at home on Valentine's Day 1989 to ask my opinion about the Ayatollah Khomeini's fatwah , I felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/when-the-washington-post-telephoned-me-at-home-on-valentine-s-day/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) ## More by Salman Rushdie > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [It's a terrible thing that your life turns into a good story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/it-s-a-terrible-thing-that-your-life-turns-into-a-good-story/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [Sometimes by a woodland stream he watched the water rush over the pebbled bed, its tiny modulations of bounce and flow. A woman's body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/sometimes-by-a-woodland-stream-he-watched-the-water-rush-over-the/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [I want to write novels. I want to write stories. I want to do the stuff that I became a writer to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/i-want-to-write-novels-i-want-to-write-stories-i-want-to-do-the-stuff/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [If you want to be a serious writer, then you have to write what there is to write about. If you're going to pull…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-you-want-to-be-a-serious-writer-then-you-have-to-write-what-there/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“Después de exigir mi marcha, ya no posees jurisdicción en lo concerniente a mi salud.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/despu-s-de-exigir-mi-marcha-ya-no-posees-jurisdicci-n-en-lo/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [If there is a choice between absolute safety and freedom, then freedom must always prevail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-there-is-a-choice-between-absolute-safety-and-freedom-then-freedom/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [I'm not a prophet, but I always thought it was natural for dictatorships to fall. I remember in 1989, two months before the fall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/i-m-not-a-prophet-but-i-always-thought-it-was-natural-for/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [I'd wanted to create a storm so that I could become more famous and richer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/i-d-wanted-to-create-a-storm-so-that-i-could-become-more-famous-and/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [Who what am I? My answer: I am the sum total of everything that went before me, of all I have been seen done,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/who-what-am-i-my-answer-i-am-the-sum-total-of-everything-that-went/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“...proving once again that there was no escape from recurrence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/proving-once-again-that-there-was-no-escape-from-recurrence/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“information, in a stream-of-consciousness soliloquy that revealed the extent to which he had internalised the adversarial fragmentation of American culture and made it a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/information-in-a-stream-of-consciousness-soliloquy-that-revealed-the/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [A little bit of one story joins onto an idea from another, and hey presto, . . . not old tales but new ones.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/a-little-bit-of-one-story-joins-onto-an-idea-from-another-and-hey/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [I'm a novelist. Fortunately I don't have to rule the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/i-m-a-novelist-fortunately-i-don-t-have-to-rule-the-world/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [The First Amendment defends all forms of speech including hate speech, which is why groups like Ku Klux Klan are allowed to utter their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/the-first-amendment-defends-all-forms-of-speech-including-hate-speech/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) [Explore all 1,087 Salman Rushdie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. 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Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) [Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Because I've always felt, whether the fatwa or whatever, the writer's great weapon is the truth and integrity of his voice. And as long as what you're saying is what you truly, honestly believe to be the case, then whatever the consequences, that's fine. 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