135 Quotes by Louis Yako

Wouldn’t it be healthier and more meaningful if we lived in communities in which openness and acceptance of difference are instilled in the society in organic and genuine ways rather than imposed on people at a later stage in their lives as job descriptions?

I want to have a cup of tea with all those whose eyes are fixated on leaving to the next place without realizing that all the beloved persons, places, and things left burning behind are waiting to confront them at the next destination.

Who am I then? Am I everybody and nobody? Am I everywhere and nowhere? Is a state of multiple existence the only thing that captures my reality and the reality of countless other exiled and displaced peoples around the world today? Is a multiple existence a good thing or is it akin to nonexistence? Am I like God who is everywhere for those who believe in him and nowhere for those who do not?

I personally believe (and I know many readers will find this controversial) that we should never engage with any writers or scholars whose work is intentionally Euro-American centered and purposely ignores or refuses to engage with knowledge produced by thinkers outside the West. In other words, in knowledge production, reciprocate treatment (whether in engagement or citation) can be effective in challenging and changing the rules of the game.

I found Baghdad, like most big cities in the world: big, exciting, interesting, rich, poor, hot, cold, restless, sleepless, and cruel at one and the same time.

As I see it, academia is the mirror of society, and the ugly academic reality we are witnessing nowadays is an indication that many academics have let the society down, and that we have not done a good job in being part of people’s struggle for justice.

If not thought carefully, our solidarity for just causes can backfire, especially when we are selective in reacting against injustice.

[T]he phrase 'first world problems.' The first problematic issue with this phrase is the assumption that we live in three (or more) worlds rather than one planet.

[T]he corporate customer service culture we currently have in place is neither about customers nor about those serving them. It is primarily geared to serve the pockets of those at the top of the corporate ladder.