"It is said that the West had a global policy in regard to Islam. That is stupid. There isn't a global Islam"
- Zbigniew Brzezinski
About this Quote
This quote by Zbigniew Brzezinski is a criticism of the concept that the West has a unified policy towards Islam. He argues that this is a misdirected concept, as there is no single, unified variation of Islam. Rather, he recommends that the West must acknowledge the variety of Islamic beliefs and practices, and establish policies that take into account the various analyses of Islam. He likewise suggests that a one-size-fits-all method to Islam is not only inefficient, but also possibly damaging to the relationship in between the West and the Islamic world. By stressing the need to recognize the diversity of Islamic beliefs and practices, Brzezinski is advocating for a more nuanced technique to foreign policy that takes into account the intricacies of the Islamic world.
"What has bothered and angered radical Muslims is that I'm a non-Muslim writing anything at all about Islam. But this is fiction, and I don't think Islam is above criticism or fictionalization any more so than Judaism, Christianity, Mormonism or Hinduism is"
"I suppose that the media and their portrayal of Islam and the almost tribal separations and divisions of the Muslims are the greatest issues confronting Muslims in the United Kingdom"
"I lead no party; I follow no leader. I have given the best part of my life to careful study of Islam, its law and polity, its culture, its history and its literature"
"I am totally against the idea that a Muslim woman should not have the same opportunities as a Muslim man to learn, to open up, to work, help shape the future. To close Islam down to a sexist approach is totally intolerable and ridiculous. It's not Islam"