Iyad El-Baghdadi is an internationally-recognised Arab Spring activist and expert on authoritarianism. He is the President of Kawaakibi Foundation and Editor-in-Chief of the Arab Tyrant Manual. He is an outspoken critic of both Islamic movements and secular dictatorships, and has set himself apart from many other activists through his use of humor and sarcasm. He contributes to his own blog site Islam and Liberty and podcast Arab Tyrant Manual on Soundcloud. A stateless Palestinian who was born in Kuwait and raised in the United Arab Emirates, he is now a political refugee in Norway.
Listen to the song I wrote after being inspired by my conversation with Iyad and all the other Podsongs athttps://jackstafford.org/music
Lyrics to the song that was inspired by the interview:
NORWAY AND SAUDI ARABIA
58BPM
CHORUS
A# Gm D# A#
Norway and Saudi Arabia both won the lottery
With one lucky strike they were lifted up, out of poverty
VERSE
Gm D#
One said whoa! Come on let’s go
Gm F
This is our chance we’re going to take it
Built cities out of sand, turn the seas into the land
This is how we’re going to make it
And we’ll live it up fast, while the good times last
No one's going to stop me baby
F
CHORUS
VERSE
The other said no, put it away
Save it up for a rainy day
Keep the day job, put it in savings
Don't give in to carnal cravings
Cos you never know, and history shows
Sometimes it's best not to grow
CHORUS [INSTRUMENTAL]
OUTRO
A#
Bright nights
F
Big city lights
D#
Or the countryside
F
And the quiet life
Fast living
Or selfless giving
Different ends
From the same beginnings