Verbatim.

"Wearing a veil proves that Muslim women face no obstacles and encourages them to participate in sport. This is a glory to all Muslim women."

--Ruqaya Al Ghasara of Bharain, who won the 2006 Asian Games' 200-meter sprint wearing a headscarf (U.K. Guardian, Dec. 11, 2006)

"There is a concern here that the Jewish community will be portrayed as the Grinch."

--Harvey Grad, attorney for a rabbi who asked that a menorah be added to the holiday display at the Seattle Tacoma airport, which then removed its Christmas trees (Associated Press, Dec. 11, 2006)

"I was having trouble with the celibacy issue, and I was in chapel praying, and I ... went into the common room, and turned on the TV to see Sheena of the Jungle.... I knew I was in trouble."

--Actor Peter Boyle, who played Frank Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond and who died on December 13, on leaving the Christian Brothers (Esquire, October 2002)

"This is a sign from God that perhaps we are not doing things right in our country."

--Archbishop Oscar Cruz of Lingayen-Dagupan, Philippines, on a typhoon that killed hundreds of people (Philippine Daily Inquirer, Dec. 4, 2006)

"I'm not sure how many Catholics buy from Hell anyway."

--Kirk MacGibbon, who markets New Zealand's Hell Pizza, the target of a Catholic boycott because of on ad campaign that sent condoms through the mail (Stuff.co.nz, Dec. 18, 2006)