Top 100 Mohamed Elbaradei Quotes
#1. I lose my temper at home. I try to control my temper at work. Sometimes, if you are under a lot of pressure, you let off some steam, but I also try not to do that because it's unfair to my wife.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#2. Only if you empower the liberals, if you empower the moderate socialists, if you empower all factions of society, only then will extremists be marginalised.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#3. I am an Egyptian Muslim, educated in Cairo and New York, and now living in Vienna. My wife and I have spent half our lives in the North, half in the South. And we have experienced first hand the unique nature of the human family and the common values we all share.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#4. I argue that for every country to have an independent fuel cycle is the wrong way to go. Because any country which has a complete fuel cycle is a latent nuclear weapons country, in the sense that it is not far from making a nuclear weapon.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#5. As much as we Egyptians treasure our military, acting alone it cannot provide the legitimacy to lay the foundations for democracy.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#6. I do not want to see the whole Egyptian people feel protected by my presence. They really have to fight for their freedom whether I'm there or not.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#7. You're shooting yourself in the foot if you isolate or disempower the moderates.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#8. I'm a lawyer. I go for due process; I go for fairness and equity - these values mean a lot to me.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#9. Egypt needs to catch up with the rest of the world. We need to be free, democratic, and - society where people have the right to live in freedom and dignity.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#10. Whether weapons exist in Iraq, Saddam Hussein or post-Saddam Hussein, it is a serious enough issue that require that we continue to go and make sure that Iraq does not have weapons.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#11. Verification and diplomacy, used in conjunction, can be effective,.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#12. Your economic and social development is linked to the kind of regime you have.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#13. In a democracy, when you get 20 million people in the street, you resign.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#14. We now have the right to have immediate, unfettered access to any site in Iraq and we have the right to interview people, both inside and outside Iraq.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#15. I'm not a good small talker. I'm not into small talk, frankly.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#16. It would be, in fact, very ominous if Iraq were to be able to get weapon-usable material, hydro-plutonium or highly enriched uranium from abroad.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#17. Unilateral preemption should not in any way be the model for how we conduct international relations.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#18. Everyone in the Middle East pretty much wants to come and be an American citizen, but pretty much everybody is angry with the U. S. foreign policy.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#19. Everybody's still talking about diplomacy and I'm very hopeful that as long as we talk about diplomacy, as long as we're not talking about enforcement measures, sanctions, et cetera, we are on the right track. But we need to accelerate the process.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#20. I think the Egyptian people need to restore confidence that Americans, the U.S., means what they say when they talk about democracy, rule of law.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#22. If we are addressing the issue of weapons of mass destruction, we need to send a uniform, consistent message that there is zero tolerance to any country who is developing weapons of mass destruction, North Korea included.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#23. There is no religion that was founded on intolerance - and no religion that does not value the sanctity of human life.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#24. It is going to take a long time to switch Egypt into a democracy.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#25. The simple fact is that there is a limited amount of water on the planet, and we cannot afford to be negligent in its use. We cannot keep treating it as if it will never run out.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#26. Once in a while, I have to pinch myself to remind myself I am Nobel laureate, but that is not part of my work plan every day.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#27. I feel relieved that we discovered that Iraq did not have nuclear weapons.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#28. Egypt under Hosni Mubarak had deteriorated to the status of a failed state. We must wipe the slate clean and start again.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#29. I think we still have a chance if we continue with our work, if Iraq provides full cooperation, we should still be able to avoid a war.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#30. Well, first of all, we now have everybody with the exception of India, Pakistan, and Israel, and I don't think these three countries are going to join by simply providing them an incentive, in terms of technology.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#31. I think it is fair to say that it is under a great deal of stress, and if I am asking for significant changes, it is because the world is going through significant changes.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#32. The gap between rich and poor is widening dramatically. There's a hangar at the Cairo airport for private jets, billionaires are on the Forbes list, and Egypt's annual per-capita income is two thousand dollars. How can you sustain that?
Mohamed ElBaradei
#33. I have a lot of interests in global issues, as you know, humanity, inequity, arms control, and I continue to be active on all these issues.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#34. You in the West have been sold the idea that the only options in the Arab world are between authoritarian regimes and Islamic jihadists. That's obviously bogus.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#35. When I go to Iran, I see ... that there are all different shades and colors in Iran, from atheist to religious zealot. So Iran is no different than any other country. I mean, they are connected with the rest of the world.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#36. If they think they can get anyone who could have better handled the complex and difficult issues surrounding North Korea, Iran and other controversies, they are not understanding the world right now.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#37. So, we need to delegitimize the nuclear weapon, and by de-legitimizing ... meaning trying to develop a different system of security that does not depend on nuclear deterrence.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#38. We have lived for thousands of years together, Muslims and Christians; we are part of the same society.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#39. The Egyptians have grown in confidence, they've tasted freedom, and there's no way back.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#40. Well, I think we still have to verify whatever declaration we will get and make sure that it is comprehensive and accurate. So, that would take care of the past activities.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#41. The globalization that has swept away the barriers to the movement of goods, ideas and people has also swept with it barriers that confined and localized security threats.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#42. If you have nothing to hide, there is no reason not to be transparent.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#43. I think one country with nuclear weapons is one country too many.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#44. America is always a good target for a populist. In many countries, particularly authoritarian systems, if you want to get an extra bonus, you bash the Americans.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#45. If you bet on individuals instead of the people, you are going to fail.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#46. The dream of democracy has long been enshrined in the hearts of the Egyptian people. It only needed awakening.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#47. The gravest threat faced by the world is of an extremist group getting hold of nuclear weapons or materials.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#48. I grew up in a conservative household. That was the life of the time in Egypt: a conservative, middle-class household.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#49. Barack Obama has injected fresh momentum into efforts - stalled for a decade - to bring about nuclear disarmament.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#50. Israel is the number one rogue state threat to Middle Eastern peace with its nuclear arms and acts of outright aggression towards its peaceful neighbours Syria and Lebanon - and genocidal actions against the marginalised Palestinians of the West Bank - and Gaza in particular.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#51. We still live in a world where if you have nuclear weapons, you are buying power; you are buying insurance against attack.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#52. It's up to any government to decide how to react to the denial of basic human rights anywhere in the world, including Egypt.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#53. Historically, Islam was hijacked about 20 or 30 years after the Prophet and interpreted in such a way that the ruler has absolute power and is accountable only to God. That, of course, was a very convenient interpretation for whoever was the ruler.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#54. You don't get the fox to be in charge of the chicken coop. You don't give the outgoing regime - which has been practicing dictatorship, is an authoritarian system, it's a bunch of military people - the task of changing Egypt into a second republic, a new Egypt with democracy, freedom, rights, etc.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#55. Nuclear proliferation is on the rise. Equipment, material and training were once largely inaccessible. Today, however, there is a sophisticated worldwide network that can deliver systems for producing material usable in weapons.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#56. Every country has the right to nuclear technology as long as they use it safely, peacefully and in a secure way.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#57. The Nobel Peace Prize is a powerful message. A durable peace is not a single achievement, but an environment, a process and a commitment.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#58. Whether we report Iran to the council or not, I believe the only way forward is through diplomacy.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#59. Iran has the technology to produce the highly enriched uranium, which is not automatically meaning nuclear weapon.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#60. My sister-in-law works for a group that supports orphanages in Cairo. She and her colleagues take care of children left behind by circumstances beyond their control. They feed these children, clothe them, and teach them to read.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#61. Managing a country is like managing a company in many ways. It maybe involves more complicated issues, but it's the same skills.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#62. What I see in the Arab world, in Egypt, everywhere is increasing radicalization.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#63. I couldn't have imagined that I would live long enough to see Egypt emancipated from decades of repression.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#65. We know North Korea has the plutonium that can go into the bomb,
Mohamed ElBaradei
#66. Countries that perceive themselves to be vulnerable can be expected to try to redress that vulnerability - and in some cases, they will pursue clandestine weapons programs.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#67. If The World Does Not Change Course, We Risk Self-Destruction.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#68. We continue to have nuclear weapons relied on as a weapon of choice. If that policy were to continue, we continue to have countries who are in a security bind, if you like, or perceive themselves to be in security bind to look for acquisition of nuclear weapons.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#69. How can you run for president if you don't know the job description?
Mohamed ElBaradei
#70. Psychology is as important as substance. If you treat people with respect, they will go out of their way to accommodate you. If you treat them in a patronizing way, they will go out of their way to make your life difficult.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#71. I hope everybody will go back to the negotiating table. I've always said this is the only way forward.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#72. The Muslim Brotherhood is a religiously conservative group. They are a minority in Egypt. They are not a majority of the Egyptian people, but they have a lot of credibility because all the other liberal parties have been smothered for 30 years.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#73. If a huge number of people call for change, the government will have to react. If you want to avoid uprisings, or demonstrations, you need to respond to the people's desperate need for change.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#76. I still believe that any country understands that if they use nuclear weapons, they will be wiped out of existence. They could be irrational in many ways, but I don't think they're irrational to the point that they're ready to annihilate their own country.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#77. People feel repressed by their own governments; they feel unfairly treated by the outside world; they wake up in the morning, and who do they see - they see people being shot and killed: all Muslims from Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Sudan, Darfur.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#78. You can't, in the 21st century, continue to live in a system where people live under martial law for 30 years.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#79. The sooner we put Egypt on the right track, the sooner we would be able to have an Egypt that is modern, that is moderate, and that is acting as a beacon for freedom and liberty across the Arab world.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#80. If I could have just 1 per cent of the money spent on global armaments, no one in this world would go to bed hungry.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#81. I worry about a democracy having nuclear weapons as much as a dictatorship having nuclear weapons.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#82. If a country is suspected of going nuclear, you need to understand why. Why does it feel insecure?
Mohamed ElBaradei
#83. My conscience does not permit me to run for the presidency or any other official position unless it is within a democratic framework.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#84. The global community has become irreversibly interdependent, with the constant movement of people, ideas, goods and resources.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#85. Egypt is indeed deeply divided. Without reconciliation we have no future. The Muslim Brotherhood is an important part of our society. I very much hope that it will participate in the next round of talks. I will be the first to protest if the imperative of fairness isn't adhered to.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#86. The Germans should be the first to sympathize with us [Egyptians]. They know how difficult it is to build a democracy following a dictatorship, and they were the first to be critical of Morsi's anti-democratic policies.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#87. I hear that from so many different governments, people coming to me and saying, 'You should be careful'. But I don't want to go around with bodyguards.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#88. You cannot apply your high standards to a country [Egypt] burdened with decades of autocratic rule. Our democracy is still in its infancy.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#89. Israel claims it needs nuclear weapons as a deterrent against any threat to its existence. The Arab world in return feels that this is an imbalanced system; there is a sense of humiliation and impotence.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#90. If Egypt were going to change, it is going to change through the young people.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#91. No one should be put on trial without a valid reason. Former President Morsi must be treated with dignity. These are the conditions of national reconciliation.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#92. In my view, stability only comes with a government that is elected by the people and works for the people.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#93. All I know is, I think I would like to continue to do public service.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#94. I'm used to politics at an international level: people put together an argument and, even if you vehemently disagree with them, well, you can recognise it's an argument and respond.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#95. The time is right for a political solution and the way is negotiations.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#96. Challenging the integrity of the non-proliferation regime is a matter which can affect international peace and security.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#97. We still have time to negotiate, we still have time for diplomacy, because there are still a number of issues that have not been clarified, that created a lack of confidence.
Mohamed ElBaradei
#99. As long as some of us choose to rely on nuclear weapons, we continue to risk that these same weapons will become increasingly attractive to others.
Mohamed ElBaradei
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