When members of the Republican party accused former president Barack Obama of being Muslim, Powell said, 'Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president?' AFP
When members of the Republican party accused former president Barack Obama of being Muslim, Powell said, 'Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president?' AFP
When members of the Republican party accused former president Barack Obama of being Muslim, Powell said, 'Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president?' AFP
When members of the Republican party accused former president Barack Obama of being Muslim, Powell said, 'Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she

Colin Powell's most memorable quotes


Holly Aguirre
  • English
  • Arabic

As the tributes for Colin Powell pour in, he is remembered as not only the son of immigrants, but also a defender of them.

Powell, who died on Monday due to complications from Covid-19, was a longtime Republican, but he began drifting away from his party in 2007 and in 2008 endorsed Barack Obama’s presidential candidacy.

He also endorsed Hillary Clinton for president in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020.

The following are a few of Powell's most inspirational and incendiary quotes.

On being Muslim

During Powell’s appearance on Meet the Press on October 19, 2008, he was asked about then-senator Barack Obama's candidacy for president.

"I'm also troubled by, not what Senator McCain says, but what members of the party say, and that it is permitted to be said such things as, 'Well, you know that Mr Obama is a Muslim'," he said.

“Well, the correct answer is, he is not a Muslim, he's a Christian.

“He's always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer's no, that's not America.

“Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president? Yet, I have heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion, 'He's a Muslim and he might be associated with terrorists.'

“This is not the way we should be doing it in America.”

On Obama versus McCain

Journalist Tom Brokaw asked Powell about his support for Mr Obama in 2008.

“Because of his ability to inspire, because of the inclusive nature of his campaign, because he is reaching out all across America, because of who he is and his rhetorical abilities ... he has met the standard of being a successful president, being an exceptional president," Powell said.

“And I can't deny that it will be a historic event for an African American to become president. ... should that happen, all Americans should be proud — not just African Americans, but all Americans — that we have reached this point in our national history where such a thing could happen.

“It will also not only electrify our country, I think it'll electrify the world.”

On war

Powell served in the Vietnam War and was heavily decorated for his service and for saving the lives of his fellow soldiers. He often said war should be a last resort, but also knew that sacrificing military lives was inevitable.

“There are times when American lives must be risked and lost,” he said in his 1995 book My American Journey: An Autobiography.

“Foreign policy cannot be paralysed by the prospect of casualties. But lives must not be risked until we can face a parent or a spouse or a child with a clear answer to the question of why a member of that family had to die.

“To provide a 'symbol' or a 'presence' is not good enough.”

On leadership

Jacqueline Falkner, who served in the US army as 507th air refuelling wing director of psychological health, said she was inspired by a quote from Powell’s 2012 book, It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership.

“The day the soldiers stop bringing their problems is the day you stopped leading them,” he wrote.

“They have either lost confidence that you can help them or concluded that you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership.

“Respect for leaders by followers can’t be mandated: it must be earned. It has to be given to leaders by their followers."

On kindness to others

“Don’t just show kindness in passing or to be courteous,” Powell said.

“Show it in depth, show it with passion and expect nothing in return. Kindness is not just about being nice: it’s about recognising another human being who deserves care and respect.”

Powell also recounted an inspirational childhood story of when his church welcomed an elderly priest to become part of its congregation.

He often paraphrased that priest’s words in the hope of inspiring others.

“Always show more kindness than seems necessary because the person receiving it needs it more than you will ever know.”

On Iraq

As former president George W Bush’s secretary of state, Powell said that invading Iraq could destabilise the Middle East, and after a two-hour post-9/11 White House meeting, he laid down what became known as the Pottery Barn rule.

“You break it, you’re going to own it.”

He applied that rule to himself when, after pleading Mr Bush’s case to the UN, the US invaded Iraq:

“I’m the one who presented it on behalf of the United States to the world and it will always be a part of my record,” Powell said in a television interview.

He also wrote opinion pieces following the war in which he wrote that he had put "loyalty over leadership".

Powell is quoted in Colin Powell: Imperfect Patriot by Jeffrey Matthews as saying, "Well, loyalty is a trait that I value, and yes, I am loyal and there are some who say, 'Well, you shouldn't have supported it, you should have resigned.' But I'm glad that Saddam Hussein is gone."

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Starring: Varun Dhawan, Anushka Sharma, Raghubir Yadav

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Gulf Under 19s

Pools

A – Dubai College, Deira International School, Al Ain Amblers, Warriors
B – Dubai English Speaking College, Repton Royals, Jumeirah College, Gems World Academy
C – British School Al Khubairat, Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Dubai Hurricanes, Al Yasmina Academy
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Recent winners

2018 – Dubai College
2017 – British School Al Khubairat
2016 – Dubai English Speaking School
2015 – Al Ain Amblers
2014 – Dubai College

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Started: 2018

Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov

Based: Dubai, UAE

Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality

Funding: $40 million

Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)

Mubalada World Tennis Championship 2018 schedule

Thursday December 27

Men's quarter-finals

Kevin Anderson v Hyeon Chung 4pm

Dominic Thiem v Karen Khachanov 6pm

Women's exhibition

Serena Williams v Venus Williams 8pm

Friday December 28

5th place play-off 3pm

Men's semi-finals

Rafael Nadal v Anderson/Chung 5pm

Novak Djokovic v Thiem/Khachanov 7pm

Saturday December 29

3rd place play-off 5pm

Men's final 7pm

PROFILE OF CURE.FIT

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Founders: Mukesh Bansal and Ankit Nagori

Based: Bangalore, India

Sector: Health & wellness

Size: 500 employees

Investment: $250 million

Investors: Accel, Oaktree Capital (US); Chiratae Ventures, Epiq Capital, Innoven Capital, Kalaari Capital, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Piramal Group’s Anand Piramal, Pratithi Investment Trust, Ratan Tata (India); and Unilever Ventures (Unilever’s global venture capital arm)

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4. Lando Norris (McLaren) 46.466s

5.Sergio Perez (Red Bull-Honda) 52.047s

6. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 59.090s

7. Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren) 1:06.004

8. Carlos Sainz Jr (Ferrari) 1:07.100

9. Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri-Honda) 1:25.692

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
LIVING IN...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

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The biog

From: Upper Egypt

Age: 78

Family: a daughter in Egypt; a son in Dubai and his wife, Nabila

Favourite Abu Dhabi activity: walking near to Emirates Palace

Favourite building in Abu Dhabi: Emirates Palace

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Manchester United 1 (Rashford 36')

Liverpool 1 (Lallana 84')

Man of the match: Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)

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Producer: Excel Entertainment & Tiger Baby
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Kalki Koechlin, Siddhant Chaturvedi​​​​​​​
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Hili 2: Unesco World Heritage site

The site is part of the Hili archaeological park in Al Ain. Excavations there have proved the existence of the earliest known agricultural communities in modern-day UAE. Some date to the Bronze Age but Hili 2 is an Iron Age site. The Iron Age witnessed the development of the falaj, a network of channels that funnelled water from natural springs in the area. Wells allowed settlements to be established, but falaj meant they could grow and thrive. Unesco, the UN's cultural body, awarded Al Ain's sites - including Hili 2 - world heritage status in 2011. Now the most recent dig at the site has revealed even more about the skilled people that lived and worked there.

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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE

When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.

CHINESE GRAND PRIX STARTING GRID

1st row
Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)

2nd row
Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes-GP)
Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)

3rd row
Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing)
Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull Racing)

4th row
Nico Hulkenberg (Renault)
Sergio Perez (Force India)

5th row
Carlos Sainz Jr (Renault)
Romain Grosjean (Haas)

6th row
Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
Esteban Ocon (Force India)

7th row
Fernando Alonso (McLaren)
Stoffel Vandoorne (McLaren)

8th row
Brendon Hartley (Toro Rosso)
Sergey Sirotkin (Williams)

9th row
Pierre Gasly (Toro Rosso)
Lance Stroll (Williams)

10th row
Charles Leclerc (Sauber)
arcus Ericsson (Sauber)

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Feb - 198
Mar - 159
Apr - 161
May - 159
Jun – 162
Currently: 88

Year-end rank since turning pro
2016 - 279
2015 - 185
2014 - 143
2013 - 63
2012 - 384
2011 - 883

New schools in Dubai
Updated: October 20, 2021, 2:38 AM`