Iyad El-Baghdadi on dealing with dictators

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 

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 

Big city lights 
D# 
Or the countryside 

And the quiet life 

Fast living 
Or selfless giving 
Different ends 
From the same beginnings