There's one advantage in having been around as long as I have. Everybody in the Senate knows me and - I'm going to say something presumptuous to repeat myself - I think most respect me.

If I respect myself and believe in what I'm doing no one can touch me.

What I respect as far as in myself and in others is the spirit of just doing it. For better or worse it may work and it may not but I'm going to go for it. Ultimately I probably prefer to be respected for that than whether it works out or not either winning or losing.

I am a feminist and what that means to me is much the same as the meaning of the fact that I am Black: it means that I must undertake to love myself and to respect myself as though my very life depends upon self-love and self-respect.

When asked if I consider myself Buddhist the answer is Not really. But it's more my religion than any other because I was brought up with it in an intellectual and spiritual environment. I don't practice or preach it however.

Beside all this I think there was something personal being Muslim myself who lived in the west I felt that it was my obligation my duty to tell the truth about Islam. It is a religion that has a 700 million following yet it's so little known about it which surprised me.

Religion doesn't play any part in my life in terms of how I live my life. But I don't think I've ever gone through a day in my life without hearing someone say the word 'Jew' or saying it myself.

I don't call myself a Buddhist. I'm a free spirit. I believe I'm here on earth to admire and enjoy it that's my religion.

In the past I would self destruct when it came to love - I was immature throwing myself into things but now times have changed I want a relationship where you understand the other person.

I'm open-minded. I don't consider myself gay or hetero I just am. I've had experiences all over the planet but it always comes down to just me but I think at this point if I had an ongoing relationship I believe it would be with a man.