Heads Of State

"I've been living outside of the Congo for a year now. And I have often made it known that I wanted to return to Congo when the time was right. I remain convinced that there is general reconciliation possible between all Congolese and that this is the only absolute condition to get this country out of the misery and anarchy."

"It was a measure that brought salvation, if General Mobutu had not done so, I and some members of my party would no longer be alive."

"There's no need for an attack i just need to get hold of Stanleyville again. You'll see I'll be back in Control of Satnleyville in a few days."

"I consider myself lucky that Emil Jurado taught me English for only one semester. I'm afraid to think of what my English would now be if he had taught me any longer. This is what I get for having been attentive during his class."

"We have the tools to end HIV transmission"

"Twenty years ago (1994), in Cairo, we (Chad) undertook a solemn commitment to work to ensure universal access to reproductive health care for our population, defend fundamental human rights, alleviate the burden of poverty, guarantee gender equality, prevent HIV and other sexually transmitted infections and protect the environment. At this time of review (2014 United Nations General Assembly), it is clear that, like most of the countries which signed up to the historic agreement (International Conference on Population and Development) in Cairo, Chad has made considerable progress in implementing the ICPD Plan of Action."

"Chad is a haven of peace in a stormy ocean. Strikes and demonstrations are normal in any democracy. Europe should not be too impatient with the young democracies in Africa. You must give us the time to progress at our own pace. We have already come a long way, we have caught with you and are now on the same level in terms of democracy."

"I am not considering impunity, I am not considering turning a blind eye to what happened, or pardoning or giving any amnesty"

"We have found our path, and it is irreversible"

"Money was not the main attraction for voters"

"I see Gabon as being in a football game at half time: we are about to start the second half and my main objective is to win the game. We want to avoid going into extra time and we certainly want to avoid a penalty shootout, but to do that we need to move faster. Based on the experience of the past seven years, we now know how to do that. We know how to move up the value chain and how to improve infrastructure (of the country)."

"Those who govern have the responsibility to eradicate poverty"

"I have strengthened the constitution myself to stipulate that no one can serve more than two terms in their life."

"The next president of Benin will be my president, from my country, my family, my community and everything that is dear to me"

"Our defense and security forces continue to be tested, but we have the means to keep these threats at bay"

"I would like my words to be perceived in their sincerity, in their solemnity"

"I will be a true and faithful prime minister, so help me God."

"I must admit that I am not at all pleased with the current state of electoral dynamics. It is damaging to our country’s image. However, this is no reason to call for reform of the party system, let alone the electoral code"

"We want people throughout Benin to feel involved in the actions of a party, in the power of a party. Even if the party does not have a majority everywhere, it should have a sufficient presence everywhere"

"We want to provide our youth with skills that meet market demands"

"No matter how effective the developed world's approach to the COVID-19 pandemic might be in terms of protecting public health, it simply will not work in Africa without social protection. Almost 85% of African workers - be they small farmers, street-food vendors, waste collectors, transport operators, or nomadic merchants - operate in the informal sector. Also, many survive day to day so they will be torn between staying safe and surviving. Restricting their movement means they will not be able to put food on their families' tables. The most effective way we can come to their aid is via cash transfers."

"When I said I want to become the president of European integration, I was thinking about the normality that citizens yearn for. Citizens in Moldova want to live in a liberal state where nobody is persecuted because of their political beliefs. A state where nobody loses their job because they refuse to betray their values and campaign for a politician they do not support. We all want a state where businesspeople are neither harassed nor fleeced by state institutions. We all want to live in a country where mayors are not politically instrumentalized and punished by the government by withholding financial support for their municipalities. Normality also implies a decent income for citizens so they can lead dignified lives and enjoy decent wages and pensions. We all want state institutions that serve citizens, rather than take their money in the interest of corrupt groups, precipitating crisis after crisis. This is what I had in mind when I spoke about wanting to be the president of European integration."

"My mandate (as the President of Benin) will be a mandate of rupture, transition and reforms."

"We will help people who need our help and support (the Ukrainian refugees after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine)."

"Grant me agriculture and I shall guarantee civilization for you."

"Education is like a lantern which lights your way in a dark alley."

"At his brilliant best. A natural leader both liked and admired by his own people. Favoured with a personality and charm with which it is the fortune of few men to be blessed."

"History is a continuous chain of events, the present is only an extension of the past."

"No matter how many buildings, foundations, schools and hospitals we build, or how many bridges we raise, all these are material entities. The real spirit behind progress is the human spirit, the able man with his intellect and capabilities."

"The ruler should not have any barrier which separates him from his people."

"Arab Oil can never be dearer than Arab blood. famous world during 1973 war By Amena Azem."

"He who does not know his past cannot make the best of his present and future, for it is from the past that we learn."

"Islam affords women their rightful status, and encourages them to work in all sectors, as long as they are afforded appropriate respect."

"Wealth is not money. Wealth lies in men. This is where true power lies, the power we value. This is what has convinced us to direct all our resources to build the individual, and to use the wealth which God has provided us in the service of the nation."

"To treat every person, no matter what his creed or race, as a special soul, is a mark of Islam."

"The edge of the sword is far more curing to the sick It is worthier to attain the right when it is neede. Do you not see me seeking comfort for the night journey? So I established by the order of God, as it should be. I have been patient, and patience leads to success Perhaps the intelligent person will be hasty, and therefore he made mistake and missed the mark Until God wanted to strengthen his faith. So I established by the order of God, as the muhtāsīb does. And I called the call of one who is certain about the generous God to the peoples of the West: He who believes in Him will never fail. They came quickly to join a noble and generous one Descended from Arabs, paying him allegiance. I have come on the horses of God to your land And the face of death has appeared to me from behind the screen I sent more ambling noble horses Led by men like lions. Their banner is my grandfather's, their call my father's And their belief is mine, near and far. Praise be to God! You know what occurred: I won with the striking, devastating, victorious arrow. That is my character–as long as I live– and yours. There it is, a war raging like a blaze."

"¡Qué madrugada nos has dado Julio César! En la Patria se sintió el te amo Cuba que dijiste cuando ganaste tu segundo oro olímpico. Felicidades, muchacho, tu pelea fue rotunda. Ya tenemos 6 medallas de oro y nuestra pequeña Isla ocupa el lugar 13 en el medallero ¡Qué hazaña!"

"Lenin was an undisputed leader of the proletariat, political leader, researcher, scientist, founder, who made important contributions to the socialist construction."

"و وباء #كورونا يجتاح العالم مهددا للبشريةندعو مجلس الأمن والأمين العام للأمم المتحدة انتونيو غوتيرش @antoniojuterres لايقاف القوى المعتدية عن عدوانها على الشعب اليمني وفك الحصار عليه فالوباء ينتشر بكافة أنحاء العالم ويجب أن تنعم شعوب العالم بالسلام وتتمكن من مكافحة الوباء الخطير"

"Hannad ibn Sari (may Allah be pleased with him) ..... Narrated Ata (may Allah be pleased with him). He said: The Kaaba was burnt down during the reign of Yazid ibn Muawiyah - when the Syrian army was fighting in Makkah (63 AH) and that is what happened to the Kaaba. When the people arrived during the Hajj (Hajj/Pilgrimage) season, ‘Abdullah ibn Zubair (may Allah be pleased with him) left the Kaaba in this state. His intention was to incite the people or to inspire them to fight against the Syrians. When the people gathered, he said: O people! Give me advice about the Kaaba. Should I demolish it and rebuild it completely, or should I repair only the damaged parts? Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "A thought has occurred to me that you should repair only the damaged parts and leave the Kaaba and its stones in the condition in which they were when the people embraced Islam and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was sent." Ibn Zubair (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "If one of you has a house that is burnt down, he will not be relieved until he repairs it. So how can the House of your Lord be left in such a dilapidated condition? I will seek refuge with my Lord for three days. Then I will take a final decision." After three days, he firmly decided to demolish the Kaaba and rebuild it. The people feared that the first person to climb to the roof of the Kaaba would be subjected to a heavenly wrath. Finally, a man climbed to the roof of the Kaaba (to demolish the roof) and threw a stone down. When the people saw that he was not in any danger, they followed him and demolished the Kaaba and razed it to the ground. Then Ibn Zubair (may Allah be pleased with him) erected some pillars and hung curtains on them. Finally, the walls of the Kaaba were raised. Ibn Zubair (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "I heard Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) say that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "If the people had not abandoned disbelief a short time ago and I did not have the means to rebuild the Kaaba, I would have included five yards of Al-Hajar (Hatim) in the Kaaba and built two doors for the people to enter and exit." Ibn Zubair (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Now I have enough money to build it and there is no fear of any opposition from the people." Al-Rabee' said, "Then he included five yards of Hatim in the Kaaba." So it was built on the (old) foundation on which Abraham (peace be upon him) had built it, and the people looked at it. A wall was built on this foundation. The length of the Kaaba was eighteen yards. When it was extended, it was increased by another ten yards, as it was short, and two gates were built for it, one for entry and the other for exit. When Ibn Zubair (may Allah be pleased with him) was martyred, Hajjaj (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote to ‘Abdul Malik ibn Marwan. He also said that Ibn Zubair had built (the Kaaba) on that foundation [which was the foundation of Abraham (peace be upon him)] and the trustworthy people of Makkah (Makkah) had verified it. ‘Abdul Malik wrote to him and sent him saying that we do not need to accuse Ibn Zubair of anything. Leave what he has extended in length, and break down what he has extended towards Hatim and restore it to its original state. And close the (new) door that he has opened. Then Hajjaj broke it down and rebuilt it on its old foundation."

"Family of al-Zubayr, if you give yourselves up willingly for me, we shall be people of a distinuished house among the Arabs. We shall have been extirpated for the Sake of God, but no calamity will have afflicated us. And now, O family of al-Zubayr, let sword blows not frighten you. Whenever I have been present at a battle field, I have been carried away wounded from among the slain; and I have found the treatment of sword wounds to be worse than the pain of the sword's blow. Guard your swords as you guard faces. I know of no man who ever broke his sword and saved his life. If a man loses his sword, he is a defenseless as a woman. Pay no attention to the glittering swords; let each man engage his adversary. Let no question about me distract you, and do not say, Where is Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr? But if anyone asks about me, I am in the front ranks."

"Victory shall be ours, but has to be in our hearts only the Greek sentiment. Anyone ready to listen servily to the foreign [powers] is a traitor."

"[…] of all those with an interest in our success, nobody acquitted himself with more consequence, goodwill and intelligence, and to greater effect, than Count Capo d’Istria. I met him 92 times and always found him true to himself, a most excellent guide, a most excellent adviser, and tirelessly patient, though what was happening in Switzerland frequently gave him just cause to give up in disgust. And the far more consequential negotiations over Poland and Saxony, which had been largely entrusted to him, could have given him an excuse to be indifferent to the interests of little Geneva."

"[…] Capodistrias's conduct in Switzerland has always done him proud. At first, the mission with which he was entrusted earned him the hostility of various parties whose interests he was jeopardising. Little by little his noble qualities were recognised, and today the Swiss unanimously mourn his loss; his name is also venerated by men of all persuasions."

"The man who killed Kapodistrias, killed his own country."

"I have the impression that the Government, as always, hoping for peace does not desire to necessary make the sacrifice (the purchase of trucks) and consequently we shall waste the new victory obtained as we have partly wasted the previous one (Campo Via)."

"Our breasts are walls when the clarion with its sound summons us to battle to defend the nation. The proceres bequeathed us this sovereign soil, the Paraguayan flag will not fall from our hands, the Chaco is sacred soil, each soldier swears it and the invader suffers it."

"This will be the war of thirst and I will drink to victory."

"Tell the Sultan, If you have not already realized that I am your co-equal in the work of ruling, then know that you have only attained to this power through my statesmanship and judgement. Does he not remember when his father was killed, and I assumed responsibility for the conduct of affairs and crushed the rebels who reared their heads, from his own family and from elsewhere. Tell him that the stability of that regal cap is bound up with this vizierial inkstand, and that the harmony of these two interests is the means of securing all objects soughts after and the ultimate cause of all objects gained. If ever I close up this inkstand, that royal power will topple."

"Kruger was the dour, stolid, canny, provincial trader. The only time that his interest ever left the confines of the Transvaal was when he sought an alliance with William Hohenzollern, and that person, I might add, failed him at the critical moment."