Politically Depressed

In this episode, Ayman is joined by Dara Eilo. Dara is an Assyrian activist and human rights advocate who has been involved in organising activities in Syria and Lebanon for the past decade and a half. Our conversation focused on the events that have taken place in Northern Syria since Jan 13, specifically the fighting between STG (that is, the new Syrian government) and the Kurdish-led SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces). What began as military operations to capture all of Aleppo, of which some neighbourhoods were held by the SDF, ended up being a wide-ranging conflict that saw the central government control large areas like Deir Azzor and Raqqa. Meanwhile, the territory controlled by the SDF shrank significantly.At the time of recording, fighting was still ongoing, and there was a very real fear amongst Kurdish communities of a war of extermination, as they described it, an existential war.This episode was recorded on January 24, and that’s important to note because things have already changed since then. After the recording, we learned that a ceasefire was announced by the Syrian government. Then, six days later, on January 30, a comprehensive agreement was signed between the transitional government and the SDF, which includes a ceasefire, gradual integration of SDF battalions in the Syrian Army and civic integration into regional municipalities.The conversation you are about to listen to, like most of the interviews I do on this podcast, is not one that focuses on geopolitics, large narratives, or predictive analysis about what is going to happen next. Instead, as though sitting in a cafe in Beirut, it is a conversation between two people who are deeply connected to the current moment, seeing what is happening on the ground but also the discourse online, and connecting with their shared grief, frustrations, and thoughts.Of course, it goes without saying that we stand in solidarity with the Kurdish people, and with all people who are struggling under systems of oppression and domination.Links:Dara's InstagramAssyrian Movement for Collective LiberationBecome a member of the FTP Patreon today: https://www.patreon.com/c/fromtheperiphery

Today’s episode, the first for 2026, is a very very special one. I sit and talk with the Palestinian writer Tarek Baconi, who recently released a book entitled Fire In Every Direction. The book is a memoir that tracks Baconi’s upbringing as a queer Palestinian in Amman, Jordan, as well as the personal process of his political awakening. I can’t recommend this book enough, its so powerful, and at least for me, incredibly relatable.The conversation we hold jumps right into it. We talk about our shared experiences growing up queer in different Arab capitals and decades, him in Amman in the 90s, me in Beirut in the 2000s. We talk about Queer Arab identity, about the scholarship that exists on the subject, and the movements on the ground. Ultimately, our conversation is grounded in a mutual understanding that queer liberation is inextricably tied to our collective liberation in the global south, here specifically, in the levant or bilad al sham.You don’t have to have read the book in order to follow this conversation, but I do recommend getting hold of a copy if you’re able to.Here is a link for where you can buy a copy.Also if you appreciate this conversation, I’ll also provide a link below for the group I am a part of in Lebanon, Queer Mutual Aid Lebanon. For a number of reasons, we are running dangerously low on funds, and so are holding a sustained fundraiser to get more people to join our Patreon. More description of the work we do is in the About section of the Patreon.

In this episode of the Politically Depressed Podcast, I’m joined by a returning guest Sara al-Hassan. Sara is a Sudanese commentator and activist who has worked tirelessly to spread knowledge and awareness about the war in Sudan and before that the revolution and beyond. Like all the interviews I do for this podcast, this is an intimate conversation that centers Sara as a person first and foremost. We do of course talk about the war in Sudan, the developments over the last few months, and the discourses around it. But importantly we also talk about how messed up everything is, draw comparisons between Sudan, Lebanon, and Palestine, and really explore the question: how do we get people to care? How to keep people engaged? -- -- -- Follow Sara on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/bsonblast/ Twitter: https://x.com/BSonblast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bsonblast.bsky.socialTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bsonblast-- -- -- Follow me onInsta: https://www.instagram.com/politically_depressed/Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/aymanmak.bsky.social-- -- -- Become a member of the Patreon today: https://www.patreon.com/c/fromtheperiphery-- -- --#sudan #war #revolution #activism #empathy #politics #history #africa #middleeast

The Israeli blockade on Gaza will kill 14,000 babies in 48 hours if it is not lifted. This was announced today by the UN. It has been 79 days since the total blockade was placed on Gaza, after Israel unilaterally ended the ceasefire agreement they signed with Hamas. It is impossible to deny what is being painfully and maliciously enacted on a daily basis: a genocide, mass extermination and annihilation. Two million Palestinians in Gaza are being starved and bombed. This has to stop. I don't know how, but it has to.Donate to support community kitchens in Gaza: https://chuffed.org/project/allchildrenareourchildren

I've been a bit absent from this podcast the last couple of weeks. I share why - which amounts to some pretty good, interesting news. One thing I forgot to mention in the episode is that I've also been arranging a few interviews for this podcast by really really cool people, so stay tuned for that. Anyway, I guess the crunch is over, so I'll go back to releasing episodes on the weekly.Film Club: https://www.patreon.com/posts/lebanon-wars-126557915New Video Essay: https://youtu.be/W1pKLk-E6J0-- -- Leave me a tip in my⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Tip Jar⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Become a member of the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow me on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow me on⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Bluesky⁠⁠

Going back to basics for this episode. I talk about how sad I've been, how so many of us are unwell, and how we should talk about it more.-- --Leave me a tip in my⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Tip Jar⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Become a member of the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow me on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow me on⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Bluesky⁠⁠

Joy at others misfortunes. It's fine when it's punching up, but I've noticed it too often be used to punch down. I talk about it.Headlines: - Israel kills two more journalists in Gaza: Hussam Shabbat and Mohammad Mansour- Protests seize Turkey after Erdogan's latest power grab-- --Leave me a tip in my⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Tip Jar⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Become a member of the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow me on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow me on⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Bluesky⁠⁠

There were numerous massacres that happening in the Syrian coast over the last week. I talk about them, share some information that I have about them and the reactions to them. I also provide some context to recent developments in Syria which I think too many are confused by and even more are coopting for ideological purposes. Here's some additional resources on the coast massacres: Article by Robin Yassin-Kassab Report by the Syrian Network for Human Rights Short video by Megaphone News-- -- New video essay 'Where Are the Arabs?'-- --As always I'll be going live this Sunday at 6pm CET to talk more about what I discuss in this episode. Join me if you have any questions or just want to hold space.-- --Leave me a tip in my⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Tip Jar⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Become a member of the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow me on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow me on⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Bluesky⁠

A LOT has happened in Lebanon (and the region) in the last few months. This is the first of many episodes where I try to unpack not just the situation of Lebanon but the situation of the region as a whole from a Lebanese (leftist) perspective. There's a lot of moving pieces, a lot of history, and most important, a lot of seismic shifts that I think needs to be accounted for in our analysis, discussions, and actions. I'll be doing a live-stream for this episode (where you can ask your questions, ask for elaborations, or just chat about stuff). It'll happen on Sunday 23rd at 8pm CET. Here is the link to join (press notify me to get a notification when I start): https://youtube.com/live/KBxiEWlUFx0?feature=share-- --Leave me a tip in my⁠⁠⁠⁠ Tip Jar⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Become a member of the⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow me on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow me on⁠⁠⁠⁠ Bluesky⁠