God did not intend religion to be an exercise club.
Naguib Mahfouz

Insults are the business of the court.
Naguib Mahfouz

Without literature my life would be miserable.
Naguib Mahfouz

I started writing while I was a little boy. Maybe it's because I was reading a lot of books I admired, and thought that I would like to write something like that someday. Also, my love for good writing pushed me.
Naguib Mahfouz

I believe society has a right to defend itself, just as the individual has the right to attack that with which he disagrees.
Naguib Mahfouz

The Arab world also won the Nobel with me. I believe that international doors have opened, and that from now on, literate people will consider Arab literature also. We deserve that recognition.
Naguib Mahfouz

I accepted the interviews and encounters that had to be held with the media, but I would have preferred to work in peace.
Naguib Mahfouz