I realized then that I didn't understand anything. I read all the books I could. Marjane Satrapi More Quotes by Marjane Satrapi More Quotes From Marjane Satrapi I'm not a politician. I don't know how to solve the problems of the world. But as an artist, I have one duty: to ask questions. Marjane Satrapi problemartistworld I'm not a religious person at all. Marjane Satrapi religious-personpersonsreligious Anything that has a relationship with pleasure we reject it. Eating, they talk about cholesterol; making love, they talk about Aids; you talk about smoking, they talk about cancer. It's a very sick society that rejects pleasure. Marjane Satrapi cancersicksmoking The first writing of the human being was drawing, not writing. Marjane Satrapi drawingwritingfirsts The Germans sell chemical weapons to Iran and Iraq. The wounded are then sent to Germany to be treated. Veritable human guinea pigs. Marjane Satrapi iraniraqpigs I hate this word 'graphic novel.' It is a term publishing houses have created for the bourgeois so they wouldn't be ashamed of buying comics... I'm not a graphic novelist. I am a cartoonist and I make comics and I am very happy about it. Marjane Satrapi publishing-housenovelistshate To speak behind others' backs is the ventilator of the heart. Marjane Satrapi behindsspeakheart I had so many professions before. I didn't want to do this particularly. It just happened. Marjane Satrapi professionhappenedwant Human beings have a lot of problems identifying themselves with other human beings who don't resemble them exactly. But there's something about drawing that means that anyone can identify to a drawing. I mean, people can identify themselves with Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse. Marjane Satrapi drawingducksmean In any case, it's the cowardice of people like you who give dictators the chance to install themselves! Marjane Satrapi chancegivingpeople Graphic novels are not traditional literature, but that does not mean they are second-rate. Images are a way of writing. When you have the talent to be able to write and to draw, it seems a shame to choose one. I think it's better to do both. Marjane Satrapi writingmeanthinking The regime had understood that one person leaving her house while asking herself: Are my trousers long enough?' Is my veil in place?' Can my make-up be seen?' Are they going to whip me?' No longer asks herself: Where is my freedom of thought?' Where is my freedom of speech?' My life, is it livable?' What's going on in the political prisons? Marjane Satrapi politicalhouselong Teacher: What do you want to be when you grow up? Marji: I'll be a prophet. Marjane Satrapi growing-upwantteacher I have been brought up open-minded. If I didn't know any people from other countries, I'd think everyone was evil based on news stories. But I know a lot of people, and know that there is no such thing as stark good and evil. Isn't it possible there is the same amount of evil everywhere? Marjane Satrapi news-storiescountrythinking I had this fantasy that in a democracy the government was the population. So I came to America and got a big slap in my face... Americans were not what I thought. I thought I was going to see bastards and I saw nice people, very friendly to me. Marjane Satrapi nicegovernmentamerica Anyway, that's how it is! Either they obey the law, or they're expelled!! And make sure they wear their veils correctly..." - "If hair is as stimulating as you say, then you need to shave your moustache!" My father actually said that. Marjane Satrapi lawhairfather I don't think of myself as a rebel; I just say what I think. Marjane Satrapi rebelthinking If today I have to make a political statement, it is, 'I love beauty.' I think beauty makes people better. Marjane Satrapi love-ispeoplethinking I am absolutely not a feminist, I am against stupidity, and if it comes from males or females, it doesn't change anything. If it means that women and men, they are equal, then OK, certainly I am a feminist. Marjane Satrapi feministmenmean This clash of the culture, East and the West, us and them, Muslim and Christian, does not exist. Marjane Satrapi eastchristiandoe
