Syed Jamil

“I don't know all the reasons for these achievements, but I know that I love what I do and I have never wanted to rest on my laurels.”
― Ahmed H. Zewail, Voyage Through Time: Walks of Life to the Nobel Prize

“in my first American

class—a freshman chemistry class during the 1969-70 academic year—

they looked at me as though I was supposed to be their nurse because

they were paying a stiff tuition. That's another concept I had to learn—

in American private schools we worked for them because they paid the

tuition, but in Egypt we were educating them.”
― Ahmed H. Zewail, Voyage Through Time: Walks of Life to the Nobel Prize

“Interestingly, this was the only incident of blatant prejudice that I can

remember. But I am aware that such opinions exist in human beings, and

it's not a question of being Egyptian or being an Arab or being a Muslim.

One could be a Christian against a Jew or a Jew against a Christian, or a

white against a black, or a man against a woman. My philosophy is not

to let such attitudes stop me from what I want to do. I don't take it very

seriously, although as you can see, I remember the incident very well.

The point was I had to get on with my work and had to behave properly,

and in the process perhaps even change the opinion of these people. But

on the other hand, if I did nothing but complain and feel sorry for myself,

then I wouldn't get anywhere.”
― Ahmed H. Zewail, Voyage Through Time: Walks of Life to the Nobel Prize

“Perhaps the most valuable thing he taught me (his father) was

that there is no contradiction between devotion to work and enjoyment

of life and people”
― Ahmed H. Zewail, Voyage Through Time: Walks of Life to the Nobel Prize