The Fire These Times

Hey everyone, I wanted to let you all know that I’ll be giving online classes starting this January, and that I’m still accepting new people for the very first class. I recommend doing so asap as I’ve already had to open up a second class due to that amazing response I’ve received so far. All details below.The class is entitled “Beware of Small States: An overview of Lebanon from 1975 to 2025.” We will go beyond sensationalist headlines and shallow coverage, and beyond simplistic, top-down explanations for the country. Instead of a linear timeline of events, which you can get from Wikipedia anyway, you will get a messy one. After all, politics is not linear. Political actors evoke events from the recent or not-so-recent past as part of their politics in the present. In addition to the structured syllabus, I will use personal stories as someone who grew up in Lebanon in a very conservative, at times even Far Right, Christian environment, to explain how my own personal journey away from right-wing and towards left-wing, quasi-anarchist, politics has helped me understand Lebanon better, and hopefully help you too.RegisterJust send me an email at ⁠ayoub@thefirethesetimes.com⁠ or a Signal message @ ayoub.02. I will send you the syllabus as well as all the required details including how to pay for the class if you're interested in taking it.When? Weekly from Saturday Jan 17th, 4pm UK time. 5 sessions. Week 1 (Jan 17): The stories we tell ourselves about this painfully ordinary country.Week 2 (Jan 24): Five academic-y concepts that are easier to understand than they seem.Week 3 (Jan 31): We Are the Children of the Children of War.Week 4 (Feb 7): From Life in the Midst of History to The CollapseWeek 5 (Feb 14): Lebanon yesterday, today, tomorrowFees: $300Discounts: For Hauntologies (my newsletter) subscribers (past or present)50% off for paid subscribers100% off for Founding MembersAnyone joining the class will get:Access to all 5 sessionsLifetime access to the Google DriveLifetime access to the Hauntologies newsletter without paying extra (subscribers pay $50 a year on average)Discounts on future classesAn invitation to join a Signal groupMore classes to comeIn addition to repeating this class, here are the titles and brief descriptions of the other classes currently being prepared. You can already register your interest by email or Signal to those as well - and I’ll just send you an email or text when they’re ready.The Ghosts of Israel’s Future, looking at what the horrors unleashed by Israel during the ongoing genocide reveal about that country’s politics, and the people, Jews, Israelis and Palestinians alike, who predicted it. Estimated fee is $300 for 5 sessions. Against Multipolar Imperialism, looking at why we cannot accept multipolarity as a valid alternative to a US-dominated world, especially as that involves accepting authoritarian states and effectively sacrificing whole populations as collateral. We will look at China, Taiwan, Ukraine, Russia, so-called Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia, Hong Kong, Syria, Israel-Palestine, Iran, El Salvador, Argentina, Tigray and Ethiopia, Bosnia and of course Lebanon. Estimated fee is $300 for 5 sessions. Cancelling the Apocalypse: From James Baldwin to Solarpunk and beyond. Estimated fee is $300 for 5 sessions. Postwar Hauntings: Modern Lebanon Through Its Cinema. This will be a much more in-depth exploration of Lebanon post-1990 through its cinema, which was the topic of my PhD dissertation. We will watch movies, discuss them, and explore Lebanon through them. Estimated fee is $600 for 6 sessions.

In this collaboration episode, guest host israa’ is joined with Jordan and Prince from The Dugout Podcast and Dr. Mohamed Abdou. We got together to talk about Malcolm X, his evolution over time, his commitment to the below, and the role and impact of Islam on his journey towards collective liberation. Along the way, we talk about Malcolm’s impact on our lives and our politics and share insights on how we think Malcolm would be showing up today. 00:00 Introduction and Host Introductions01:45 Personal Connections to Malcolm X04:52 Malcolm X's Influence and Evolution08:48 Reflections on Malcolm X's Teachings11:31 Malcolm X's Legacy and Modern Relevance19:39 Organizational Structures and Revolutionary Responsibility29:19 Global Impact and Pan-Africanism46:17 Evolving Governance and Lessons from the Zapatistas48:08 Exploring Malcolm X's Intersectional Analysis48:47 Malcolm X and James Baldwin: A Shared Journey50:45 Decolonization and Internationalism52:30 Contextualizing Malcolm X's Strategies54:34 Malcolm X's Methodology and Ethics58:38 Malcolm X's Legacy and Modern Implications01:18:09 The Role of Spirituality and Self-Critique01:29:20 Final Reflections on Malcolm X's InfluenceMohamed :Dr. Mohamed Abdou is a Muslim anarchist scholar and organizer. He's a student of the muqawama (the resistance) and author of Islam and Anarchism: Relationships and Resonances (Pluto Press, 2022). His work centers on Palestinian, Indigenous, Black, and people of colour liberation, and draws on the Indigenous Zapatista movement in Chiapas, Mexico, as well as his participation in the Egyptian uprisings of 2011. substack: https://drmohamedabdou.substack.com/website: ⁠mabdou.net⁠. Twitter: @minuetinGmajor Instagram: @slightlydriftingisraa’ :israa’ (they/them) is an activist scholar in a committed relationship with collective liberation. They are part of From the Periphery Media collective where they are hosts of The Mutual Aid Podcast, The Fire of these Times, and From the Periphery Podcast. They’re working towards building a world where all worlds fit through their activism and scholarship.israa’ is on Bluesky and IGDugoutThe Dugout is a Black anarchist podcast rooted in political education, decolonial thought/praxis, and deep community study. We tell stories, break down systems, and honor the voices of those building liberation from below. From interviews with Black Panthers and movement elders to media critiques and abolitionist strategy, each episode is a living contribution to Black radical traditions.Stay connected with The Dugout! Follow us for updates, exclusive content, and more:🔗OUR WEBSITE: https://www.thedugoutpodcast.com/🔗 ⁠Instagram⁠: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/dugoutpodcast/⁠🔗 ⁠Substack⁠: ⁠https://tdugout.substack.com/⁠ 🔗⁠YouTube⁠: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@thedugoutpod⁠🔗 ⁠Patreon⁠: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/TheDugoutPod⁠🔗 ⁠OUR LINKS⁠: ⁠https://bio.site/thedugoutpodcast⁠🔗 Watch Prince Shakur on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMMgrSHWLLU4U_FnJ1u10UgHow to Support Our Work:Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠: You’ll get early access to all podcasts, exclusive audio and video episodes, an invitation to join ⁠⁠⁠⁠our monthly hangouts⁠⁠⁠⁠, and more.Donations: https://fromtheperiphery.com/donate/Check out our merch: https://fromtheperiphery.com/shop/Credits:israa' (host, producer), Elia Ayoub (episode design), ⁠⁠Rap and Revenge⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (Music), ⁠⁠Wenyi Geng⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (TFTT theme design), ⁠⁠Hisham Rifai⁠⁠⁠⁠ (FTP theme design) and ⁠⁠Molly Crabapple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (FTP team profile pics).

For episode 205, Daniel joins me from what used to be the Warsaw Ghetto to talk about Gaza.Support: You can support my work with⁠ ⁠a one-off or monthly donation⁠⁠ on Ko-fiMasterclass on Modern Lebanon:⁠ ⁠Registration is now open⁠⁠Newsletter: Subscribe to⁠ ⁠Hauntologies⁠⁠Social Media: I’m on⁠ ⁠Bluesky⁠⁠,⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and⁠ ⁠Mastodon⁠⁠Contact: To collaborate, reach out on ⁠⁠ayoub@thefirethesetimes.com⁠⁠The Fire These TimesSocial Media: TFTT is on⁠ Bluesky⁠ and⁠ Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Transcription: You can help⁠ ⁠Antidote Zine⁠⁠ transcribe TFTT episodes⁠ here⁠Website: All episodes are archived ⁠on the website⁠From The PeripheryTFTT is a proud member of ⁠⁠From The Periphery Media Collective⁠⁠⁠, which you can support⁠ on Patreon⁠ and follow on⁠ Bluesky⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠ and⁠⁠ Instagram⁠.Check out other project wherever you get your podcasts:⁠ ⁠⁠Politically Depressed⁠⁠⁠Syria: The Inconvenient Revolution⁠ ⁠From The Periphery Podcast⁠ ⁠The Mutual Aid Podcast⁠⁠Read the two relevant pieces that informed this chat:Daniel's: A Prayer Drifts to a NestElia's: Notes on Assadism, Zionism, Fascism and Hope⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Credits:Elia Ayoub (host, producer, episode design), Daniel Voskoboynik (host), ⁠⁠Rap and Revenge⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (Music), ⁠⁠Wenyi Geng⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (TFTT theme design), ⁠⁠Hisham Rifai⁠⁠⁠⁠ (FTP theme design) and ⁠⁠Molly Crabapple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (FTP team profile pics).

Guest host Abdulla Moaswes, a Palestinian scholar and old buddy of mine, is joined by two scholars of Kashmir, Ather Zia and Hafsa Kanjwal to talk about Kashmir. It’s a long episode, but that’s because we wanted to make sure to present Kashmir’s history on its own terms, a Kashmir perspective that does not center Pakistan and certainly not India (or China). This is part 2 of the Kashmir Question series. ⁠The full version is already available⁠ on Patreon.For much of the last 3 decades, Kashmir has been among the most militarised places on Earth, with its territory divided between the three nuclear-armed states of India, Pakistan, and China. Earlier this year, events in the region acted as a prelude to an armed confrontation between India and Pakistan, which the former used as an opportunity to more deeply entrench an emergent settler colonial form of rule in the territory. Many view the Kashmir question as simply a territorial dispute between these three states, but as this podcast series will demonstrate, the Kashmir question is one about colonial occupation and anticolonial resistance. In this podcast series, Hafsa, Ather and Abdulla first outline the origins of the Kashmir crisis, explaining how the region came to be partitioned as a result of British and Indian colonialism. They contextualise Kashmir’s colonisation within the project of Indian statebuilding, as well as the territory’s relevance to regional geopolitics. In part 2, they discuss Kashmiri resistance over the decades, including the events that led to and comprised the Kashmir Intifada that broke out in the late 1980s. The third and final episode consists of an assessment of Kashmir’s current status and the guests’ outlook for the future. Ather Zia is an associate professor in the Department of Anthropology and the Gender Studies program at the University of Northern Colorado, Greeley as well as a poet, short fiction writer, and columnist. Hafsa Kanjwal is an associate professor of South Asian History in the Department of History at Lafayette College in Easton, PennsylvaniaAbdulla Moaswes is a Palestinian writer, researcher, educator and translator.Support: You can support my work with⁠ ⁠a one-off or monthly donation⁠⁠ on Ko-fiMasterclass on Modern Lebanon:⁠ ⁠Registration is now open⁠⁠Newsletter: Subscribe to⁠ ⁠Hauntologies⁠⁠Social Media: I’m on⁠ ⁠Bluesky⁠⁠,⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and⁠ ⁠Mastodon⁠⁠Contact: To collaborate, reach out on ⁠⁠ayoub@thefirethesetimes.com⁠⁠The Fire These TimesSocial Media: TFTT is on⁠ Bluesky⁠ and⁠ Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Transcription: You can help⁠ ⁠Antidote Zine⁠⁠ transcribe TFTT episodes⁠ here⁠Website: All episodes are archived ⁠on the website⁠From The PeripheryTFTT is a proud member of ⁠⁠From The Periphery Media Collective⁠⁠⁠, which you can support⁠ on Patreon⁠ and follow on⁠ Bluesky⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠ and⁠⁠ Instagram⁠.Check out other project wherever you get your podcasts:⁠ ⁠⁠Politically Depressed⁠⁠⁠Syria: The Inconvenient Revolution⁠ ⁠From The Periphery Podcast⁠ ⁠The Mutual Aid Podcast⁠⁠For more:⁠Kashmir Lit⁠Abdulla Moaswes is on ⁠Bluesky⁠Ather Zia has a ⁠website⁠Hafsa Kanjwal has a ⁠website⁠Credits:Abdulla Moaswes (host), Elia Ayoub (producer, sound editor, episode design),⁠ ⁠⁠Rap and Revenge⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (Music),⁠ ⁠⁠Wenyi Geng⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (TFTT theme design),⁠ ⁠⁠Hisham Rifai⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (FTP theme design) and⁠ ⁠⁠Molly Crabapple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (FTP team profile pics).

In this special episode of The Fire These Times, Elia is joined by four members of the From The Periphery media collective to talk about the ongoing famine in Gaza, Israel's genocide and the world's complicity. Despite the obviously horrific nature of this topic, we insisted on not giving in to despair. The génocidaires cannot win.The five participants connected to the Gaza genocide through their own respective experiences: Leila Al-Shami (Syria: The Inconvenient Revolution) is a Syrian-British activist and writer who lived in Gaza for three years; Karena Avedissian (Obscuristan) is an Armenian scholar who continues to reflect on the legacy of the Armenian genocide and the role of Genocide studies today; Daniel Voskoboynik (Hidah: Jewish Counter-Colonial Thoughts) joined us from what used to be the Warsaw Ghetto, site of one of the most infamous episodes of the Holocaust; israa' (The Mutual Aid Podcast) has been involved in Gaza mutual aid (click here for the link); and finally Elia is a Palestinian-Lebanese whose grandfather was a Palestinian refugee.They spoke about pushing back against despair, and the importance of rejecting Israel's genocide as the new normal. It got very personal at times.Support: You can support my work with⁠ ⁠a one-off or monthly donation⁠⁠ on Ko-fiMasterclass on Modern Lebanon:⁠ ⁠Registration is now open⁠⁠Newsletter: Subscribe to⁠ ⁠Hauntologies⁠⁠Social Media: I’m on⁠ ⁠Bluesky⁠⁠,⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and⁠ ⁠Mastodon⁠⁠Contact: To collaborate, reach out on ⁠⁠ayoub@thefirethesetimes.com⁠⁠The Fire These TimesSocial Media: TFTT is on⁠ Bluesky⁠ and⁠ Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Transcription: You can help⁠ ⁠Antidote Zine⁠⁠ transcribe TFTT episodes⁠ here⁠Website: All episodes are archived ⁠on the website⁠From The PeripheryTFTT is a proud member of ⁠⁠From The Periphery Media Collective⁠⁠⁠, which you can support⁠ on Patreon⁠ and follow on⁠ Bluesky⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠ and⁠⁠ Instagram⁠.Check out other project wherever you get your podcasts:⁠ ⁠⁠Politically Depressed⁠⁠⁠Syria: The Inconvenient Revolution⁠ ⁠From The Periphery Podcast⁠ ⁠The Mutual Aid Podcast⁠⁠For more:Leila Al-Shami is on Bluesky, Mastodon and blogs hereKarena Avedissian is on Blueskyisraa is on BlueskyDaniel Voskoboynik is on Bluesky and blogs at The Ecology of UsCredits:Elia Ayoub (host, producer, sound editor, episode design), Leila Al Shami (host), israa (host), Daniel Voskoboynik (host), Karena Avedissian (host), ⁠⁠Rap and Revenge⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (Music), ⁠⁠Wenyi Geng⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (TFTT theme design), ⁠⁠Hisham Rifai⁠⁠⁠⁠ (FTP theme design) and ⁠⁠Molly Crabapple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (FTP team profile pics).

“Fascism isn’t just about power—it’s about controlling the stories we tell. It warps narratives to justify oppression, trapping us in cycles of dominance and despair. But stories can also resist, break those cycles, and open the door to something new.“ This is how YouTuber and hardcore Trekkie Jessie Gender starts her video essay “The Stories Fascism Fears Most“ which we highly recommend. A few weeks ago, Elia Ayoub sat down with Jessie to talk about it. They got into their love of Star Trek - because of course they did - as well as other franchises like The Matrix. This is a special crossover episode between The Fire These Times and Resistance is Fertile, a Star Trek Anarchist podcast by Elia and carla joy bergman. Support: You can support my work with⁠ ⁠a one-off or monthly donation⁠⁠ on Ko-fiMasterclass on Modern Lebanon:⁠ ⁠Registration is now open⁠⁠Newsletter: Subscribe to⁠ ⁠Hauntologies⁠⁠Social Media: I’m on⁠ ⁠Bluesky⁠⁠,⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and⁠ ⁠Mastodon⁠⁠Contact: To collaborate, reach out on ⁠⁠ayoub@thefirethesetimes.com⁠⁠The Fire These TimesSocial Media: TFTT is on⁠ Bluesky⁠ and⁠ Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Transcription: You can help⁠ ⁠Antidote Zine⁠⁠ transcribe TFTT episodes⁠ here⁠Website: All episodes are archived ⁠on the website⁠From The PeripheryTFTT is a proud member of ⁠⁠From The Periphery Media Collective⁠⁠⁠, which you can support⁠ on Patreon⁠ and follow on⁠ Bluesky⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠ and⁠⁠ Instagram⁠.Check out other project wherever you get your podcasts:⁠ ⁠⁠Politically Depressed⁠⁠⁠Syria: The Inconvenient Revolution⁠ ⁠From The Periphery Podcast⁠ ⁠The Mutual Aid Podcast⁠⁠Show NotesSupport the making of RIF on PatreonRIF BlueSky: @thestartrekpod.bsky.social‬RIF IGcarla’s workJessie Gender’s YouTube channelMusic by NinePulseTech by Chris BergmanRIF is co-produced by carla and Elia

It's been 20 years since the Assad regime assassinated Samir Kassir, the Lebanese-Syrian-Palestinian historian, journalist and writer in Beirut on June 2nd 2005. Joining Elia Ayoub and Leila Al-Shami today is Lebanese-French political researcher and academic Ziad Majed, a friend and comrade of Kassir, to talk about his legacy in the two decades that have passed given how much has changed since for Lebanon, Palestine and of course Syria.This is a special cross-over episode between The Fire These Times (TFTT) and Syria: The Inconvenient Revolution (STIR). We are both part of the From The Periphery Media Collective. To support all of our projects please head out to⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/fromtheperiphery⁠⁠Resources:⁠Dans la tête de Bachar al-Assad⁠ by Ziad Majed, Farouk Mardam-Bey and Subhi Hadidi⁠Syrian melancholy in Lebanon’s revolution⁠ by Elia Ayoub and Dara Foi’Elle⁠The 2020 TFTT episode (26) with Ziad Majed⁠Samir Kassir:⁠Beirut⁠ (History)⁠Being Arab/The Arab Malaise⁠⁠Archives of Samir Kassir in the Revue d'études palestiniennes⁠ (French)Credits and More:Leila Al Shami (Host). More:⁠⁠ ⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠ ⁠Mastodon⁠⁠⁠ and her⁠⁠ ⁠Blog⁠⁠⁠Elia Ayoub (Host, Producer). More:⁠⁠ ⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠ ⁠Mastodon⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ and his⁠⁠ ⁠Newsletter⁠⁠⁠STIR is also on⁠⁠ ⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠TFTT is on⁠ Bluesky⁠,⁠⁠ Instagram⁠⁠ and has a⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠website⁠From The Periphery is on⁠⁠ ⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠,⁠ ⁠Bluesky⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠ Instagram⁠⁠, and has a⁠⁠ website⁠⁠⁠Hisham Rifai (Illustration)Omar Offendum and Sami Matar (Music)

Palestinian journalist Maram Humaid joins us from Gaza to talk about the many layers of Israel’s genocide, the everyday of those trying to survive it. This is part 1 of the episode with Elia Ayoub and israa'. It is already available in full on Patreon for free.Support: You can support my work with⁠ ⁠a one-off or monthly donation⁠⁠ on Ko-fiMasterclass on Modern Lebanon:⁠ ⁠Registration is now open⁠⁠Newsletter: Subscribe to⁠ ⁠Hauntologies⁠⁠Social Media: I’m on⁠ ⁠Bluesky⁠⁠,⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and⁠ ⁠Mastodon⁠⁠Contact: To collaborate, reach out on ⁠⁠ayoub@thefirethesetimes.com⁠⁠The Fire These TimesSocial Media: TFTT is on⁠ Bluesky⁠ and⁠ Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Transcription: You can help⁠ ⁠Antidote Zine⁠⁠ transcribe TFTT episodes⁠ here⁠Website: All episodes are archived ⁠on the website⁠From The PeripheryTFTT is a proud member of ⁠⁠From The Periphery Media Collective⁠⁠⁠, which you can support⁠ on Patreon⁠ and follow on⁠ Bluesky⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠ and⁠⁠ Instagram⁠.Check out other project wherever you get your podcasts:⁠ ⁠⁠Politically Depressed⁠⁠⁠Syria: The Inconvenient Revolution⁠ ⁠From The Periphery Podcast⁠ ⁠The Mutual Aid Podcast⁠⁠More:Maram’s articles on Al JazeeraGaza Mutual AidThis American Life episode with Maram’s daughter Banias “The Narrator, Episode 849” December 13, 2024Elia’s piece on Hauntologies: Why I Cannot Mourn GazaFor more:israa' is on ⁠Bluesky⁠Credits:Elia Ayoub (host, producer, episode design), israa' (host), Ayman Makarem (producer, sound editor), ⁠⁠Rap and Revenge⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (Music), ⁠⁠Wenyi Geng⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (TFTT theme design), ⁠⁠Hisham Rifai⁠⁠⁠⁠ (FTP theme design) and ⁠⁠Molly Crabapple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (FTP team profile pics).