Arab Tyrant Manual Podcast
by Arab Tyrant Manual Podcast
Iyad El-Baghdadi and Ahmed Gatnash study global authoritarianism, with a focus on the MENA region, and dive deep into universal strategies and tactics of authoritarians, as well as the best ways to resist.The Arab Tyrant Manual is now part of Kulna, a new editorial platform and community space for long thinking about power, resistance, and what comes next. Learn more and support us:http://kulna.co/
Episodes
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Why can't Saudi Arabia defend itself? with Iyad el-Baghdadi
This month, Houthi missiles shut Riyadh’s main airport and hit Saudi Aramco’s headquarters. Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s biggest military spenders, yet it cannot reliably secure its own territory. Why? Ahmed Gatnash sits down with Iyad El-Baghdadi to argue that the answer has little to do...
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HTL: Episode 1: Introducing 'How to Liberate', Feat. Iyad el-Baghdadi, Khaled Albaih & Ahmed Gatnash
This is 'How to Liberate', the Arab Tyrant Manual, relaunched. In our inaugural episode, the team behind How to Liberate introduce themselves, the podcast, and how it will see the world. They trace where this show, and Kulna, come from. Iyad and Khaled tell their stories: Khaled's childhood…
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045 - Will The Gulf States Make It?
We recorded this episode in the middle of one of the most consequential moments in the history of this region. In this episode, we ask the question on everyone's mind: "Do the Gulf States Have a Future?" Not in the next news cycle, but in the next generation. We look at what the current war on…
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044 - The Logic of Endless War
It's been four years since our last episode — and we're back with something bigger. In this episode, recorded before the ceasefire announcement, Iyad El-Baghdadi and Ahmed Gatnash break down the ongoing U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran - a war that looks irrational from Washington, but it starts to…
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043 - Ukraine is Dividing the Gulf States from the West
As Russia's invasion of Ukraine caused global energy prices to spike, the US looked to its traditional gulf partners to increase supply. However, Mohamed bin Zayed and Mohamed bin Salman chose not to - refusing President Joe Biden's calls and even raising prices, whilst making overt gestures of...
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042 - Working for Libyan Accountability, with Elham Saudi
In this episode, Ahmed Gatnash speaks to Elham Saudi, co-founder and director of Lawyers for Justice in Libya, about the fight for accountability and how human rights defenders can work towards accountability in areas that are ordinarily pushed to the sidelines. Elham can be found on Twitter...
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041 - Authors' Retrospective of the The Middle East Crisis Factory
In this episode, Iyad and Ahmed interview each other about their own book, The Middle East Crisis Factory. They discuss the origin and context of the book, detail various struggles that were overcome through the writing process, and share their reflections on the project 12 months on from its...
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040 - The Middle East Crisis Factory: an Interview on Gaslit Nation
This is a repost of an interview on the Gaslit Nation podcast, hosted by Sarah Kendzior and Andrea Chalupa. Iyad discusses the origin of the Middle East Crisis Factory book, the context of the Middle East's struggle for democracy in the world, and how that shapes the work of Kawaakibi Foundation....
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039 - The Changing Activism Paradigm
Iyad and Ahmed discuss human rights and political activism around the world, and why it seems to fail so often. Follow us on Twitter @ArabTyrantMan, and join our Patreon to support our work and gain access to exclusive clips and pre-release episodes: https://patreon.com/kawaakibi Episode Time…
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038 - Changing Horizons
A continuation of the previous episode, Iyad and Ahmed discuss new changes in world politics, human rights activism and the podcast! Follow us on Twitter @ArabTyrantMan and join our Patreon to support our work and gain access to exclusive clips and pre-release episodes. Episode timestamps: 0:30 -...
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037 - The Podcast Returns
Iyad and Ahmed kickstart the podcast again after a long hiatus - with updates on various developments at the Kawaakibi Foundation, in their personal lives and in global human rights. Follow us on Twitter @ArabTyrantMan and join our Patreon to support our work and gain access to exclusive clips…
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036 - What does Justice For Jamal Khashoggi look like?
Iyad El-Baghdadi and Ahmed Gatnash discuss the release of the ODNI report confirming US intelligence's conclusion that MBS directly ordered the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. Now that two years of gaslighting by the Trump administration are finally over, we can turn to the important question: what…
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035 - The Xinjiang Victims Database, with Gene Bunin
In this episode, Ahmed talks to Gene Bunin, founder of the Xinjiang Victims Database - a unique initiative to track the crimes being committed against individuals in the western region of China and investigate the fate of those missing. Find the database online at: https://shahit.biz/...
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034 - Reflections on the podcast, US elections and the future...
Ahmed Gatnash and Iyad El-Baghdadi reflect about the podcast, how far it's come, and plans for the future, as well as discussing Joe Biden's election victory and Trump's defeat, and what they mean for the MENA region and the global struggle for human rights. Support our work on Patreon here:...
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033 - The Left's Tribal Anti-Imperialism
In September, Ahmed spoke to Joey Ayoub, Lebanese writer and researcher, about tankies, genocide denial, red-brown alliances and the uncomfortable affinity between large parts of the political left and authoritarianism. Find Joey on Twitter @joeyayoub, and us at @gatnash and @arabtyrantman.…
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032 - Lebanon vs Sectarian Warlord Oligarchy
Ahmed talks to Timour Azhari and Joey Ayoub about the massive popular movement against the entire political order which has rocked Lebanon for over 2 weeks. It has led to the end of the government already, but can it achieve the real goal - total systemic change? Catch our guests on Twitter:...
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031 - Lessons from Egypt's latest protests
Ahmed Gatnash speaks about the recent protests in Egypt, which surprised almost everyone but show that the lessons of 2011 have still not been fully absorbed. For a text version of the article: https://arabtyrantmanual.com/9-lessons-from-egypt/ Support our work: https://www.patreon.com/kawaakibi
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030 - Is Your Phone Safe? Inside Saudi's Phone Hacking Scandal
Human Rights Foundation and Arab Tyrant Manual present this panel from this year's Oslo Freedom Forum, in which Iyad el-Baghdadi and Karen Attiah discuss the Saudi government's use of surveillance software. They go into detail on Jamal Khashoggi and his legacy, as well as the hack of Jeff Bezos…
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029 - Art vs Repression, from Egypt to Hong Kong - with Amr Waked & Denise Ho
Celebrities are notoriously shy of politics, advised to stay neutral for the sake of their careers. But what do you do when you can no longer be silent? Denise Ho, a singer and actress from Hong Kong, and Amr Waked, an Egyptian actor, discuss their journeys into activism, what it meant for their...
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028 - In the Mirror: What Went Wrong with the Arab Spring?
At the Oslo Freedom Forum last year, 7 activists from the Arab region found ourselves in a room together. This is the discussion which followed - on identity, exile, activism, trauma and healing, whether the Arab Spring failed, and different visions of what the future holds. It was nuanced and...
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027 - Iyad's Statement on Saudi Threats
This episode is a recording of Iyad El-Baghdadi's recent press conference, in which he speaks about the recent revelations from intelligence agencies that the Saudi government potentially poses a threat to his life....
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026 - The Power of Nonviolence, with Jamila Raqib
What is the purpose of nonviolence? What are its limits? Surely it couldn't work against someone as brutal as the Nazis...could it? In this episode, Iyad and Ahmed speak to Jamila Raqib, Executive Director of the Albert Einstein Institution - an organisation dedicated to advance the worldwide…
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025 - Bombs, Ballots and Bullets: the Battle for Libya's Future
Ahmed Gatnash (@gatnash) discusses Libya with Nadine Dahan (@NadineDahan), a journalist and independent analyst focussed on Libya, human rights and transitional justice in the MENA region. As well as analysing the current crisis, started by Haftar's attempt to invade the capital Tripoli, they…
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024 - Why There Are Few Ex-Presidents in Africa
Abderrahmane Weddady, the brother of regular Arab Tyrant Manual contributor Nasser Weddady, has been charged with "spreading fake news" and jailed pending trial in his home country of Mauritania. His crime? Revealing a massive Ponzi scheme which cost 7000 families their homes, and uncovering…
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023 - Raed Fares: The Man Who Built a Civil Society in a War Zone
On Friday, November 23nd, Raed Fares was assassinated in northern Syria by masked gunmen suspected of being affiliated with al-Qaeda. This episode features an interview we recorded with him at the Oslo Freedom Forum in 2017, in which he told us what the Syrian revolution meant to him, and why he...
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022 - Fauré Must Go!
In Togo, protests are gathering steam against the 50-year rule of the Gnassingbé family. In this episode, Farida Nabourema, a blogger and human rights activist who has been a fearless critic of corruption, dictatorship and colonialism, tells Iyad and Ahmed about the Fauré Must Go movement. We may...
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021 - Is There a Light at the End of 2019's Tunnel?
Ahmed and Iyad do a roundup of major news from 2018, and discuss the outlook for the world in 2019. Where were we vindicated over the last year? Which countries will have popular uprisings this year? Why are Arab countries normalising relations with Assad again after 8 years of brutality? What…
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020 - Sudan, Mother of Arab Revolutions
Sudan is in the middle of an uprising. That alone is notable, but Sudan is also one of the most fascinating and under-studied countries in the region, and has had more successful uprisings than any other country in the MENA region. In this episode, Ahmed @gatnash and @Anas_Abdalla take a…
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019 - The Kawaakibi Foundation Story
In this very special episode, we go through the history of our project from the early days of the Arab Spring through to the present. Our project is a child of the Arab spring, and if you're interested in the evolution of resistance, this is a must listen. On this New Year's Eve we're also taking…
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018 - The End Of Arab History
Ahmed and Iyad discuss the aftermath of the murder of Jamal Khashoggi and current narratives around authoritarianism in the Middle East. Has Mohammed Bin Salman won? Is the Arab spring over? Is the current state of repression in the Arab world a sustainable "new normal"? Mentioned in the episode:...
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017 - Where is Jamal Khashoggi?
Jamal Khashoggi, the veteran Saudi journalist and former royal advisor, is missing and presumed kidnapped. He was last seen entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. In this episode we replay a conversation Jamal had with Ahmed, Iyad and Nasser at the Oslo Freedom Forum earlier this year to...
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016 - Mauritania's Democratic Tipping Point?
Where in the world could you find out that your deceased grandfather voted in a constitutional referendum 3 years after he died? In this episode, Ahmed and Nasser discuss the recent elections in Mauritania, in which an empowered opposition threaten to undo President Ould Abdelaziz' hopes for a...
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015 - How Gary Lineker Once Helped an Innocent Iranian Prisoner
How do you get one of the world's most beloved ex-footballers to speak out about an innocent political prisoner in Iran? In this episode (part 2 of a 2-part show), Iyad El-Baghdadi and Maryam Nayeb Yazdi talk about a campaign they ran for Arash Sadeghi, and what activists can learn from it.…
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014 - Inside the Iran Bubble, with Maryam Nayeb Yazdi
In this episode (part 1 of another 2-part show), Iyad El-Baghdadi (Twitter: @iyad_elbaghdadi) interviews Maryam Nayeb Yazdi (Twitter: @MaryamNayebYazd), a Canadian-Iranian human rights activist, about her journey into activism, and she tells us more about the country since 2009. Maryam has joined...
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013 - Can Debate Save the Arab World?
A discussion between Belabbes Benkredda, Founding Director of the Munathara Initiative, and Iyad El-Baghdadi, Nasser Weddady and Ahmed Gatnash, on the public sphere, what teaching young people to debate can do for the world, and how to normalise civilised exchange of ideas and evaluation of them…
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012 - The Absentee Landlord of Cambodia's Internet?
Part 2 of the conversation with Buzzfeed News' Megha Rajagopalan, continuing the discussion on China but also touching on the effects of Facebook on various South Asian countries like Cambodia, Myanmar and Sri Lanka, including amplifying communal violence, and inadvertently empowering autocrats....
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011 - China: The Police State of the Future
Part 1 of a meandering conversation between Ahmed and Megha Rajagopalan, BuzzFeed News' China bureau chief and Asia correspondent, about surveillance and censorship in China - the high-tech police state they've built, WeChat and other tech companies, Chinese memes, the effect it's having on other...
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010 - Dictators and Development Statistics
We attended the Oslo Freedom Forum last month. Ahmed (@Gatnash) sat down with Alex Gladstein (@Gladstein) to get an introduction to the forum, and speak about their goals and some of their achievements, as well as some of Alex's research on dictatorships use of the UN Sustainable Development…
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009 - The Catch-22 of Arab Economic Reform
In this conversation, Ahmed and Nasser discuss the Catch-22 of economic reform in the Arab World - the conflicting pressures on regional governments from established business interests and burgeoning youth populations create a true 'rock and a hard place' and allow us to understand much better…
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Alert: The Saudi Regime Declares War on Women's Rights Activism
An emergency episode about the 9 women's rights activists arrested in Saudi Arabia in the last week. They are: Dr Eman al-Nafjan, Loujain al-Hathloul, Dr Aisha al-Mana', Dr Madeha Al-Ajroush, Professor Aziza Al-Yousef, Dr. Ibrahim Al-Modaimeegh, Mohammad Al-Rabea and Abdulaziz Al-Mesha’al. You…
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007 - Inside the UAE-Saudi Alliance
In this experimental episode format, Iyad gives his take on the dynamics of the UAE-Saudi alliance and the possibility of fractures appearing. Let us know your thoughts, and join the conversation on #ArabTyrantManual
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006 - The Arab World Won't Fix Itself
A wide-ranging conversation in which Ahmed Gatnash and guest Nasser Weddady, touching on American air strikes on Syria, coup-proofing, Syrian regime relations with Nazis, emergent models of digital surveillance in China and the gulf, the Arab league, the perks of allying with authoritarian…
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005 - Nonviolence
Iyad El-Baghdadi and Ahmed Gatnash discuss nonviolent resistance to oppression - realistic mechanism of change or idealistic and ineffective? What is it, and how does it apply to different struggles today? Got any thoughts or questions? Tweet us @iyad_elbaghdadi, @gatnash. #ArabTyrantManual
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004 -Scholars and Tyrants
Ahmed and Iyad talk about #globalpeace17 and Muslim scholars who legitimise and support tyrants. Why they do so, and what does this mean both for the Muslim world and for Islam? People mentioned in this episode: Womens rights activists Loujain alhathloul and Masyaa Al Amoudi (@LoujainHathloul and...
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003 - Iran Protests
Ahmed and Iyad discuss the protests in Iran, what they're about, and what they mean for the future. Mentioned in this episode: Jamal Khashoggi's article on Saudi's response:...
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002 – Saudi Reforms (Part 2)
In episode 2, Ahmed and Iyad continue the discussion on Saudi Arabia. Obama's legacy, what's behind it's regional rivalry with Iran, and how can their historical differences tell us more about their wordviews. How can we fix the crises we're in at the moment? Got any thoughts or questions? Tweet…
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001 – Saudi Reforms (Part 1)
In our first episode, Iyad and Ahmed discuss the recent events in Saudi Arabia, and what Mohammed bin Salman's reforms mean in context. Got any thoughts? Tweet us @iyad_elbaghdadi, @gatnash. #ArabTyrantManual
About this show
Iyad El-Baghdadi and Ahmed Gatnash study global authoritarianism, with a focus on the MENA region, and dive deep into universal strategies and tactics of authoritarians, as well as the best ways to resist.The Arab Tyrant Manual is now part of Kulna, a new editorial platform and community space for long thinking about power, resistance, and what comes next. Learn more and support us:http://kulna.co/
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