I Don't Feel Guilty About Expressing Myself

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.

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.

In The 70s I Was In Exile; Every Time I Went Back I Wondered If They'd Take My Passport Away.

The Power Of The Word In Morocco Belonged To Men And To The Authorities. No One Asked The Point Of View Of Poor People Or Women.

Our Steps Invent The Path As We Proceed; Behind Us They Leave No Trace, Only The Void. So We Shall Always Look Ahead And Trust Our Feet. They Will Take Us As Far As Our Minds Will Go... -- Tahar Ben Jelloun