Audio By Carbonatix
This isn’t really the place to discuss global politics and/or the death penalty, but, for those of you following the case of Akmal Shaikh, the Briton (of Pakistani descent) who is scheduled to be executed for carrying a suitcase of heroin into China, it’ll probably be very interesting.
Shaikh claims he was tricked by men claiming he’d record the above song and become a star, thus fulfilling his dream of bringing about world peace. The linked story has some details about the man’s mental illness (he claimed to have spoken to the angel Gabriel, for example) and it’s not hard to accept what supporters claim happened:
“It would be totally typical of him to fall for some kind of story that some drug dealer might spin to him concerning making his record in China… He would be so desperate for human contact that if some shady character came up to him to talk, Akmal would have gone on and on about his song, and it would have been easy for someone to see that he could be exploited.”
That’s all well and good, but to really, really get a sense of what’s going on here I’d urge you to check out the above track. This man is very clearly delusional. Truly a heartbreaking song.
When news happens, Phoenix New Times is there —
Your support strengthens our coverage.
We’re aiming to raise $30,000 by December 31, so we can continue covering what matters most to you. If New Times matters to you, please take action and contribute today, so when news happens, our reporters can be there.
