Khaled Ahmed Interview: Conversations with History; Institute of International Studies, UC Berkeley

Photo by Jane Scherr

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Lessons Learned

One final question requiring a short answer, because our time is almost up. If students were to watch this story of your journey as a rationalist within Islam, and also as a writer concerned to express liberal values in a very complex society, what lesson might they draw from your life that you would like to leave them with?

I think that one has to be culturally rooted to become a complete human being. I don't think that a Pakistani who is read only in English can become finally a balanced person. Although, there are exceptions. There are fantastic exceptions of boys and girls who have learned only English, and absorbed knowledge only through English, who have also realized the genuineness of their own culture. It's dangerous to be knowledgeable only in one culture, which is Western culture.

The other side of it is that if you are not knowledgeable in Western civilization, then the danger is that you will become paranoid. The biggest lesson anybody can learn from me is that if you live in the West, you must try to assimilate, must try to understand Western culture -- not pop culture, but the mainsprings of real civilization. You must go to classical music, learn the philosophy, and become acquainted with the political scientists of the West. If you are in the United States, you should look at the explosion of knowledge in this society and the good work that people are doing here. You should also learn from the pluralism that exists here -- the tolerance of the variant point of view. You can read Chomsky, you can read Edward Said, but you should also realize that they live in this society and are flourishing despite their dissenting views.

Thank you very much, Khaled, for being here today and sharing this fascinating story of your journey.

Thank you.

And thank you very much for joining us for this Conversation with History.

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To the Conversations page.

See also: Interview with Noam Chomsky.