Marjane Satrapi Quotes

“Only my grandmother knew about my book.”

“It’s important that you know. Our family memory must not be lost.”

“The basis of education comes from the family!”

“Her mother had already abandoned her. Since that day, I’ve had doubts about the so-called ‘maternal instinct.‘”

“We didn’t really like to wear the veil, especially since we didn’t understand why we had to.”

“The political prisoners were liberated a few days later. There were 3000 of them.”

“As for Houshang, Zozo’s husband, he was a CEO in Iran, but in Austria, he was nothing.”

“How good it feels to walk without a veil on my head.”

“A part of me understood (my old friends). When something is forbidden, it takes on a disproportionate importance.”

“Since we weren’t married, we couldn’t kiss each other in public, or even give one another a friendly hug to express our extreme joy. We risked imprisonment and being whipped.”

“The elections were faked and they believe the results.”

“The regime got scared because if these opponents had reached Tehran, they would have freed those who represented a real threat to the government…”

“In my culture, parents were sacred. We at least owed them an answer.”

“Don’t worry. Everyone who left will come back. They’re just afraid of change.”

“It was war all right. Right away, the supermarkets were empty.”

“The masking tape is to protect against flying glass during a bombing and the black curtains are to protect us from our neighbors.”

“It’s fear that makes us lose our conscience. It’s also what transforms us into cowards.”

“Deep down I was very religious but as a family we were very modern and avant-garde.”

“The only place I felt safe was in the arms of my friend.”

“If anyone ever asks you what you do during the day, say you pray, you understand?”