Latest Waris Dirie Quotes from Interviews

Quotes about:

• Less hatred, more love, less war, more peace, more respect for the Mother Nature and for other people.

  Waris Dirie

  Mother, War, People

• Give love and share happiness with the people around you, and never give up fighting for what you believe in.

  Waris Dirie

  Giving Up, Believe, Fighting

• My family is and will always stay the most important to me.

  Waris Dirie

  Important, My Family

• I am strong, determined, impulsive, happy, and emotional.

  Waris Dirie

  Strong, Emotional, Determined

• I have often felt like I was the only one fighting against female genital mutilation. There is still a huge taboo surrounding the topic, because it involves the most private parts of the female´s body. But whenever I feel like this is too much for me to do, I read e-mails and messages I receive every day from people thanking me for speaking up for them, for giving them a voice. These messages let me know that I am not alone, and that what I do is worthwhile.

  Waris Dirie

  Fighting, Voice, Speaking Up

• When I became successful as a model in the United States, I knew that my chance to be heard had come and so I took it.

  Waris Dirie

  Successful, United States, Chance

• I always knew, from the very day of my own mutilation, that I would one day fight against this practice. I did not know how and when, but I knew that I would fight it.

  Waris Dirie

  Fighting, Practice, One Day

• In the current situation, it is very difficult for foreign NGOs to work in Somalia because it is so unstable and dangerous. I really hope that my country will one day rise out of this mess and reach the potential it has.

  Waris Dirie

  Country, One Day, Somalia

  Interview with Ryan Kohls, whatiwannaknow.com. January 27, 2012.

• We need to empower women: provide them with work for their own income, and teach them to become independent of men so they will never have to have their children suffering the same torture.

  Waris Dirie

  Children, Independent, Men

• I know what I am fighting for. I am fighting for the most basic rights of innocent children. And that is why I never take the criticism too deep under my skin.

  Waris Dirie

  Children, Fighting, Rights

• Somalia is facing many problems, I don't even know where to start.

  Waris Dirie

  Problem, Somalia, Knows

• Well, of course there’s my own experience of being mutilated as a little child. Having gone through this cruel practice and all the long-term consequences that come with it, I just cannot sit back and watch it being done to thousands of little girls every year. I believe that it is my responsibility to use the attention I get to fight against the continuing practice of FGM.

  Waris Dirie

  Girl, Children, Believe

  Interview with Ryan Kohls, whatiwannaknow.com. January 27, 2012.