“We are split people. For myself, half of me wishes to sit quietly with legs crossed, letting the things that are beyond my control wash over me. But the other half wants to fight a holy war. Jihad! And certainly we could argue this out in the street, but I think, in the end, your past is not my past and your truth is not my truth and your solution---it is not my solution. So I do not know what it is you would like me to say. Truth and firmness is one suggestion, though there are many people you can ask if that answer does not satisfy. Personally, my hope lies in the last days. The prophet Muhammad---peace be upon Him!---tells us that on the Day of Resurrection everyone will be struck unconscious. Deaf and dumb. No chitchat. Tongueless. And what a bloody relief that will be.”

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About Zadie Smith

Zadie Smith is a British novelist and essayist of the 2000s and 2010s. She is best known for her sharp, culturally observant fiction that explores identity, migration, and community, including novels like *White Teeth* and *On Beauty*. Her essays often examine literature, race, and urban life with wit and intellectual depth.

More from Zadie Smith (153 quotes) →
"We are split people. For myself, half of me wishes to sit quietly wit…" — Zadie Smith | Daily Quotes