"The hajj is one of the five essential practices of Islam when they make the pilgrimage to Mecca, Muslims ritually act out the central principles of their faith."

"A theology should be like poetry, which takes us to the end of what words and thoughts can do."

"In the holy city of Mecca, violence of any kind was forbidden. From the moment they left home, pilgrims were not permitted to carry weapons, to swat an insect or speak an angry word, a discipline that introduced them to a new way of living."

"Now I think one of the reasons why religion developed in the way that it did over the centuries was precisely to curb this murderous bent that we have as human beings."

"You can muffle the drum, and you can loosen the strings of the lyre, but who shall command the skylark not to sing?"

"You are the music while the music lasts."

"I grew up with classical music when I was a ballet dancer. Now when I have to prepare an emotional scene, to cry or whatever, I listen to sonatas. Vivaldi and stuff. It's just beautiful to me."

"For some reason, the evolutionists have not come up with an evolution-based explanation for why human beings react so powerfully to music. But surely they will."