My job is to look at what politics is doing, not be a politician myself.

It's the job of intellectuals and writers to cast doubt on perfection.

When you have a foreign invasion - in this case by the Indonesian army - writers, intellectuals, newspapers and magazines are the first targets of repression.

I claim the right to take a stand once in a while.

I'm not really one of those people who believes that if you're a musician you can just leave that behind and start getting into politics.

Democracy without morality is impossible.

Using medicine in the service of cosmesis is generally bad for patients, bad for doctors, and bad for democracy. The only exceptions are when we know the intervention will actually reduce suffering, as with a primary cleft lip repair.

We shouldn't just consider the desire of government to do what it wants to do. We should always consider the resistance of people. The culture of Iranian people doesn't let the government drag people into deep trouble or backlash. Maybe government wants it, but the culture doesn't let it go on.