Theodore Bikel Quotes
All too often arrogance accompanies strength, and we must never assume that justice is on the side of the strong. The use of power must always be accompanied by moral choice.
Bikel, Theodore. Theo: The Autobiography of Theodore Bikel. University of Wisconsin Press, 2002.
Most Americans would with this characterized their own judges. This is the most formalized and sophisticated compendium of laws of the so-called “barbaric peoples” of Europe. The compilation was in many ways a documentation of the traditional laws of the Visigoths that had evolved over hundreds of years.
This is an amazing speech which illustrated the best of the development and growth of Islam. Note that: The ruler who has just been given ALL secular AND religious power admits candidly that he may not be the best qualified. This would not happen for over another 1000 years and even today is very rare in any society. In addition, he invites the citizens to correct him when he is wrong. Later, Calihs would, like the Christian kings and popes claim infallibiity and kill any who suggested otherwise. And daring to correct the ruler was capital offence for most of history and is even dangerous in some Muslim countries today. Last and perhaps most amazing, the new Caliph called for an affirmative leveling of the inequality of rights and power and announces it asa one of his major responsiblities. It is this kind of vision so unheard of at the time which shows us why so many flocked to Islam at the time. From a fairness, human rights, and accoutabiity of the ruler point of view Islam was the most modern of the religions then. Tragically, other forces shaped Islam for the next 1500 years and most Muslim countries become the least modern and its rulers are least accountable to the citizenry with none of the other rights and concept of fairness that Abu Bakr and other early Islamic leaders brought.
New York Times columnist Bret Stephens wrote a piece criticizing the rationale behind the forced ouster of Times reporter Donald G. McNeil Jr., but it was never published. Stephens told colleagues the column was killed by publisher A.G. Sulzberger. Since then, the piece has circulated among Times staffers and others — and it was from one of them, not Stephens himself, that The Post obtained and published it.
Theodore Meir Bikel was an Austrian-American actor, folk singer, musician, composer, unionist and political activist. He appeared in films including The African Queen (1951); Moulin Rouge (1952); The Kidnappers (1953); The Enemy Below (1957); I Want to Live! (1958); My Fair Lady (1964); The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming (1966) and 200 Motels (1971). For his portrayal of Sheriff Max Muller in The Defiant Ones (1958), he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
