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For this episode I spoke to Ahmed Gatnash, the Executive director of Kawaakibi Foundation. He is also a Strategy Advisor at the Albert Einstein Institution, and is the co-author of Middle East Crisis Factory, a primer on systemic crises and a vision for a positive future for the MENA region.During the discussion we spoke about the context of the political economic situation where Islam rose, the economic policies that were put into practice during this time, and how the policies looked at today could be seen as a mix of libertarian and socialist. One of the most interesting institutions of this period was the Waqf, an income producing asset that is removed from individual ownership for perpetuity so that the income is dedicated to a public good.You can also find the interview in video form on YouTube here.If you liked the podcast be sure to give it a review on your preferred podcast platform. If you find content like this important consider donating to my Patreon starting at just $3 per month. It takes quite a lot of my time and resources so any amount helps. Follow me on Twitter (@TBSocialist) or Mastodon (@theblockchainsocialist@social.coop) and join the r/CryptoLeftists subreddit and Discord to join the discussion.Send me your questions or comments about the show and I'll read them out sometime. Support the showICYMI I've written a book about, no surprise, blockchains through a left political framework! The title is Blockchain Radicals: How Capitalism Ruined Crypto and How to Fix It and is being published through Repeater Books, the publishing house started by Mark Fisher who's work influenced me a lot in my thinking. The book is officially published and you use this linktree to find where you can purchase the book based on your region / country.
“I think humans can fix almost everything and Biticoin is a very powerful tool towards that” - Ahmed GatnashMy guest today is Ahmed Gatnash. Ahmed is author of “The Middle East Crisis Factory” and Executive Director of the Kawaakibi Foundation, an accelerator for thinkers and doers, with a focus on the future of freedom in the Middle East and North Africa. In this episode we discuss using Bitcoin as a tool for human rights and financial freedom, the complex politics and need for new progressive paradigms in the MENA region, democracy efforts globally, the end of monetary imperialism in Africa, Bitcoin adoption challenges and use cases for the oppressed, the outsized focus Bitcoin ETFs and Wall Street, and more. Follow Ahmed on XYou can find Trey on nostr and via the pod's social channelsSPONSORS:ZEUS is an open-source, self-custodial Bitcoin wallet that gives you full control over how you make payments. Head to Zuesln.com to learn more and download.BitBox: My favorite bitcoin hardware wallet for keeping your bitcoin safe in cold storage. Use promo-code TPB during checkout to get 5% off your purchase: https://bitbox.swiss/tpb Sazmining: Get $50 off the purchase of a miner using the following link: https://app.sazmining.com/purchase?ref=byyhN2mCGXlu. Sazmining is a Hosted Bitcoin Mining provider with a commitment to using 100% renewable energy for your mining operation.Support The Progressive Bitcoiner: https://geyser.fund/project/theprogressivebitcoiner Join in on the conversation at our Progressive Bitcoiner Community telegram group!The Team:Producer/Editor: @DamienSomersetBranding/Art: @DanielWebsite: @EvanPrim Get full access to TPB Weekly Digest at progressivebitcoiner.substack.com/subscribe
Ahmed Gatnash is an author, activist and co-founder of the Kawaakibi Foundation. In this interview, we discuss how the hope of the Arab Spring has been ruthlessly suppressed, meaning the middle east is further from democracy than ever. It's a breathtaking story of brave activists fighting Twitter's exploitation, Jamal Khashoggi's murder and the blackmailing of Jeff Bezos. - - - - The history of the Middle East is a modern tragedy: the cradle of civilisation has been exploited by powerful Western interests that have enabled corrupt and cruel authoritarian rule to dominate the region. Democratic movements have long struggled to gain any traction. However, a wave of optimism spread through the region in 2011 as the Arab Spring saw numerous popular uprisings. The ruthless response indicated that the region's path to freedom will be a long one. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Except in the Middle East. The wave of protests predicated on the pent-up anger at decades of corruption and economic stagnation heralded an era of extreme brutality against citizens throughout the region. The cruel irony is that the Western social media technology that enabled the coordination of demonstrations, has now been effectively harnessed by those seeking to protect the established centres of power. The cruelty lies in the knowing actions of those directly involved in the violent repression of dissent. It also lies in the wanton ignorance of those living in the West. Those who marginalise a continent of people. Those who prioritise profit over other considerations. Those who talk of freedom but know nothing of those who are staking their lives for freedom in today's world. This is a tale about brave activists fighting for the rights we in the West take for granted to be provided to their peers in the Middle East. It is a story of an outsized fight where those fighting for democracy are facing entrenched and ruthless authoritarians, self-interested Westerners and a largely indifferent media. It is an interview you need to hear. We all need to check our privilege.
“Lack of accountability, lack of representation, oppression, corruption, dysfunctional institutions leading to dysfunctional economies where people can't make enough to survive; and there's only so much you can take of that before you reach the end of your tether.”— Ahmed GatnashAhmed Gatnash is an author, activist and co-founder of the Kawaakibi Foundation. In this interview, we discuss how the hope of the Arab Spring has been ruthlessly suppressed, meaning the middle east is further from democracy than ever. It's a breathtaking story of brave activists fighting Twitter's exploitation, Jamal Khashoggi's murder and the blackmailing of Jeff Bezos.- - - - The history of the Middle East is a modern tragedy: the cradle of civilisation has been exploited by powerful Western interests that have enabled corrupt and cruel authoritarian rule to dominate the region. Democratic movements have long struggled to gain any traction. However, a wave of optimism spread through the region in 2011 as the Arab Spring saw numerous popular uprisings. The ruthless response indicated that the region's path to freedom will be a long one.Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Except in the Middle East. The wave of protests predicated on the pent-up anger at decades of corruption and economic stagnation heralded an era of extreme brutality against citizens throughout the region. The cruel irony is that the Western social media technology that enabled the coordination of demonstrations, has now been effectively harnessed by those seeking to protect the established centres of power. The cruelty lies in the knowing actions of those directly involved in the violent repression of dissent. It also lies in the wanton ignorance of those living in the West. Those who marginalise a continent of people. Those who prioritise profit over other considerations. Those who talk of freedom but know nothing of those who are staking their lives for freedom in today's world. This is a tale about brave activists fighting for the rights we in the West take for granted to be provided to their peers in the Middle East. It is a story of an outsized fight where those fighting for democracy are facing entrenched and ruthless authoritarians, self-interested Westerners and a largely indifferent media. It is an interview you need to hear. We all need to check our privilege.- - - - This episode's sponsors:Iris Energy - Bitcoin Mining. Done Sustainably Gemini - Buy Bitcoin instantlyLedn - Financial services for Bitcoin hodlersBitcasino - The Future of Gaming is hereLedger - State of the art Bitcoin hardware walletWasabi Wallet - Privacy by default-----WBD643 - Show Notes-----If you enjoy The What Bitcoin Did Podcast you can help support the show by doing the following:Become a Patron and get access to shows early or help contributeMake a tip:Bitcoin: 3FiC6w7eb3dkcaNHMAnj39ANTAkv8Ufi2SQR Codes: BitcoinIf you do send a tip then please email me so that I can say thank youSubscribe on iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher | SoundCloud | YouTube | Deezer | TuneIn | RSS FeedLeave a review on iTunesShare the show and episodes with your friends and familySubscribe to the newsletter on my websiteFollow me on Twitter Personal | Twitter Podcast | Instagram | Medium | YouTubeIf you are interested in sponsoring the show, you can read more about that here or please feel free to drop me an email to discuss options.
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 support for Putin. In this episode, Iyad El-Baghdadi and Ahmed Gatnash discuss how the war in Ukraine has pushed a wedge between the US and its traditionally-close gulf allies, and what this means for the future of the Middle East. Episode timetags: 02:40 - The economic context of Russia's invasion of Ukraine 04:40 - Alternative sources of energy & autocracies 08:00 - The gulf oil producers are acting differently 09:30 - Why Saudi's reaction is a bad idea 12:30 - Changing dictatorships through economic engagement 14:00 - Europe's reaction to war & the dictators' underestimations 18:20 - The shift in relationships from unconditional to transactional 21:00 - MBS taking political changes personally 23:55 - The Atlantic interview, disinformation, and MBS' continued self-owns 27:30 - US security guarantee isn't in doubt, but it's not enough 33:25 - The failure of dictatorship as a management system 38:10 - Is Saudi Arabia maximising profit for its national budget? Support the Arab Tyrant Manual on Patreon: https://patreon.com/kawaakibi Our other podcast, Intergalactic Tarboush: http://tarboush.co/
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 (https://twitter.com/elham_lfjl (@elham_lfjl)) and at libyanjustice.org (https://twitter.com/LibyanJustice (@LibyanJustice)). They publish the https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/libya-matters/id1473007540 (Libya Matters podcast), and created the Ali Nouh fund, which provides emergency assistance to human rights defenders who are at risk due to their work. You can donate to the fund here: https://cafdonate.cafonline.org/15937#!/DonationDetails Support the Arab Tyrant Manual on Patreon, where you can find a bonus clip from this conversation: https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbFNXYXdjWlhKR20zckFGeEdYT1ZiT3lUblJkUXxBQ3Jtc0tuMVdBa05fekExZkFYS0RoRVZlNGR4ZDZwcTlJT2hkaElHbjR4dmJGQ2F6czdFMnBaWWhIX2E5cU5PU2p3emh3MER2Y0RORjQ2WFFyZHZ5NXE2MEdqOGdjMzZuRUtOSU1XX1VnYlAxaDQxWmdsNHhPZw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fpatreon.com%2Fkawaakibi (https://patreon.com/kawaakibi)
How does the international media cover Libya? Are they held accountable? How should they report on conflict and political instability? In this special episode, we look at the challenges and opportunities for the media covering the Libyan story with Ahmed Gatnash, Raghda Ibraheem, Asma Khalifa and Patrick Wintour. This episode showcases the first instalment of Libya Matters Live, a live event which was recorded in December 2020. Check out our recent work on the rights of migrants and refugees.Follow us: Twitter: @Libyamatterspod Facebook: @Libyamatters Instagram: @libyamatterspodcast If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on your platform of choice. Find our regular hosts on Twitter @Elham_LFJL and @Marwa_LFJL. Libya Matters is produced by Damiri Media. This episode of Libya Matters is made possible by our partnership with International Media Support (IMS).Libya Matters is a production of Lawyers for Justice in Libya. Follow LFJL at: Twitter: @LibyanJustice Facebook: @LibyanJustice Instagram: lawyersforjusticeinlibya Subscribe to our mailing list Support our work with a single or regular donation
On this episode Elif and Michael talk with Ahmed Gatnash, co-founder of Kawaakibi Foundation about his new book 'The Middle East Crisis Factory' co-authored with Iyad El Baghdadi. They discuss the main themes in the book, the key linkages between the recent protest movements in Iraq, Lebanon, Sudan and Algeria and the wave of protests that swept the region in 2011, the role of civil society and diaspora in challenging the authoritarian regimes, the perception of Islamists as populist political actors, the relationship between ideology and democratic practices as well as key points to look out for in the coming decades.
Why is the Middle East a crisis factory, and how can it be fixed? What does the future look like for its 500 million people? And what role should the West play? Iyad El-Baghdadi and Ahmed Gatnash tell the story of the modern Middle East as a series of broken promises. They chart the entrenchment of tyranny, terrorism and foreign intervention, showing how these systems of oppression simultaneously feed off and battle each other. Exploring demographic, economic and social trends, the authors paint a picture of the region's prospects that is alarming yet hopeful. Finally, they present ambitious and thoughtful ideas that reject both aggressive military intervention and cynical deals with dictators. This book, written by two children of the region, is about the failures of history, and the reasons for hope. The Middle East Crisis Factory offers a bold vision for those seeking peace and democracy in the Middle East. Iyad El-Baghdadi is a Palestinian writer, activist and entrepreneur, and co-founder/president of the Kawaakibi Foundation. He was jailed and expelled from his lifelong home in the UAE for human rights activism, and today lives in Oslo, where he was granted asylum. He is a fellow at Norwegian liberal think tank Civita and board member at Munathara, the Arab debate NGO. He tweets @iyad_elbaghdadi. Ahmed Gatnash is a British-Libyan activist and entrepreneur. He is co-founder and director of operations of the Kawaakibi Foundation, and hosts its Arab Tyrant Manual podcast. He tweets @gatnash. Rim Turkmani is a Research Fellow at the Conflict and Civil Society Research Unit in the Department of International Development at the London School of Economics and Political Science. She directs the Syria conflict research programme at the Unit. Her policy-oriented research work focuses on identity politics, legitimate governance, transforming war economy it into peace economy and the relationship between local and external drivers of the conflict.
How did the Middle East get broken, and how can it be fixed? What does the future look like for its 500 million – mostly very young – people? And what role should the West play? These are among the questions considered by Iyad El-Baghdadi and Ahmed Gatnash in their new book ‘The Middle East Crisis Factory’. Andrew Mueller is joined by El–Baghdadi to explore a vision for peace and democracy in the region and asks former member of the Tunisian parliament Khawla Ben Aicha how she went about trying to achieve it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Gaslit Nation welcomes a special guest whose incredible life story captures the complex, often misunderstood region of the Middle East, the topic of this week’s discussion. Iyad el-Baghdadi, whom some of you may know from his must-read Twitter account, is a Palestinian activist, writer, and the co-author, with Ahmed Gatnash, of the compelling and important new book The Middle East Crisis Factory: Tyranny, Resilience and Resistance.
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 does justice for Jamal look like? Iyad's article in the Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/02/26/saudi-arabia-jamal-khashoggi-mbs-biden-freedom-of-expression/?arc404=true Find us on Twitter at @iyad_elbaghdadi, @gatnash and @arabtyrantman. Support our work: www.patreon.com/kawaakibi
Ahmed Gatnash, host of "The Arab Tyrant Manual" podcast and Founder of the Kawaakibi Foundation, moderates a discussion between HRF Chairman Garry Kasparov, Areej Sadhan, sister of jailed Saudi dissident Abdulrahman al-Sadhan, and investigative journalist Karim Zidan on the Saudi regime's investments in sports and entertainment to distract from ongoing human rights abuses. This panel was recorded at the 2020 Oslo Freedom Forum, produced by the Human Rights Foundation.
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: www.patreon.com/kawaakibi
The Libyan media scene has exploded since 2011, but from established international outlets to fake news churned out by armies of Twitter bots, how can we navigate it? To guide us, we’re joined by Ahmed Gatnash, co-founder of the Kawaakibi Foundation, an accelerator for thinkers and doers focused on the future of liberty in Arab and Muslim societies, host of the Arab Tyrant Manual podcast and co-author of the forthcoming book The Middle East Crisis Factory. You can find Ahmed on Twitter at @gatnashFind the Kawaakibi Foundation at https://kawaakibi.org/Listen to the Arab Tyrant Manual podcast at https://arabtyrantmanual.com/podcast/**Libya Matters is a production of Lawyers for Justice in Libya. Find us at: Info@libyanjustice.org Twitter: @LibyanJustice Facebook: @LibyanJustice Instagram: lawyersforjusticeinlibya Subscribe to our Newsletter** Support our work with a single or regular donation**Find Libya Matters at:Twitter: @LibyamatterspodFacebook: @LibyamattersInstagram: @libyamatterspodcast
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
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 also provide a run-down of what's happened Libya since 2011 and how it came to be this bad - armed militias, terrorist groups, coups, rival parliaments, allegations of slavery, a dozen international parties and a UN-sponsored diplomatic reconciliation initiative. Support us on Patreon, where you can also access a bonus recording discussing disinformation on traditional and social media in Libya: www.patreon.com/kawaakibi
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 on their merits. Belabbes is currently Senior Research Scholar at Yale Law School's Information Society Project, and can be found on Twitter (@AbuLavinia). The Munathara Initiative (@Munathara) can be found at http://www.munathara.com/
In this week’s episode of the Sinica Podcast, taped live in New York at the law offices of Dorsey and Whitney on June 19, Kaiser and Jeremy chat about DEF CON, the world’s premier hacker convention, which was — to the surprise of many — held in Beijing this May, and sponsored by Baidu. They also discuss U.S-China cyber relations throughout the years, including some of the finer emerging contours that define this relationship. Joining us are Kevin Collier, a reporter for BuzzFeed who reported on the conference from Beijing, and Priscilla Moriuchi, a 12-year veteran of the National Security Agency (NSA) who is now head of nation-state threat security at Recorded Future. Recommendations: Jeremy: Arab Tyrant Manual, a podcast hosted by Iyad El-Baghdadi and Ahmed Gatnash that discuss authoritarianism and freedom in the Middle East. Priscilla: Crimetown, a podcast about organized crime and political corruption in Providence, RI in the 80’s and 90’s that is sure to please fans of Serial and S-Town alike. Kevin: Tyler Childers, an authentic country musician who “cut his teeth” in Kevin’s Kentucky hometown. Kaiser: Free Salamander Exhibit, an experimental metal band that Kaiser says has “crazy chops.”
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 Goals and other development statistics. You can follow Alex on Twitter: https://twitter.com/gladstein Some of his writings on the UN SDGs and other development statistics: https://qz.com/1299149/how-the-uns-sustainable-development-goals-undermine-democracy/ https://newrepublic.com/article/148133/dictators-love-development-statistics Check out talks from the Oslo Freedom Forum here: https://oslofreedomforum.com
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 regimes and the long-term prospects of the Arab world. Find us on twitter at @Gatnash and @Weddady, and join the conversation on #ArabTyrantManual
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