

The Fire These Times
Elia Ayoub
Where doom scrolling meets radical hope.
“The Fire These Times is a place where we tell our hardest truths, and find one another" - Naomi Klein.
Hosted by Elia Ayoub with co-hosts Dana El Kurd, Daniel Voskoboynik, israa' and other members of the From The Periphery Media Collective.
“The Fire These Times is a place where we tell our hardest truths, and find one another" - Naomi Klein.
Hosted by Elia Ayoub with co-hosts Dana El Kurd, Daniel Voskoboynik, israa' and other members of the From The Periphery Media Collective.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 27, 2026 • 1h 6min
216/ Voices from Lebanon w/ Lina Mounzer & Justin Salhani
For episode 216, I am joined by Lebanese writer and translator Lina Mounzer as well as Lebanese journalist Justin Salhani to talk about the ongoing consequences of Israel's war on Lebanon. This is an intra-Lebanese conversation that is meant to give you an idea of the sort of discussions happening in Lebanon while contextualising as much as we could so that you come out of it better informed as well.Lebanon emergency reliefEpisode links:The Markaz Review https://themarkaz.org Salhani's Al Jazeera profile https://www.aljazeera.com/author/justin_salhani_150211052541586 Israel’s Digital Occupation (Salhani, The Dial) https://www.thedial.world/articles/news/israel-drone-warfare-lebanonDeath and Destruction from the Sky (Mounzer, Equator) https://www.equator.org/articles/death-and-destruction-from-the-sky-iii We live in a Time of Monsters (Mounzer, The Markaz) https://themarkaz.org/we-live-in-a-time-of-monsters/ My Links:Support: You can support my work with a one-off or monthly donation on Ko-fiMasterclass on Modern Lebanon: Registration is now open for May 2026Newsletter: 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 PodcastMy recent pieces972Mag: Israel’s renewed war on Lebanon is about more than just HezbollahCrimethinc: “History Is Repeating Itself”Good Law Project: Trump’s illegal war puts all of us at riskAlso, for HauntologiesIsrael's Lebanese GhostsIranian protesters don't owe us an explanationHow Hezbollah Lost EverythingRecent Podcast interviewsIt Could Happen Here: Israel's Attack on LebanonThe Final Straw: The US-Israeli War with Iran Spreads, Nuclear Weapons, Lebanon and Anti-Imperial SolidarityThe Dugout: Honoring Political GhostsThe Breakup Theory: Episode 31 – Iran and the US-Israeli Death Drive EconomyCreditsElia Ayoub (host, producer, episode design), Justin Salhani and Lina Mounzer (guests), Rap and Revenge (Music), Wenyi Geng (TFTT theme design), Hisham Rifai (FTP theme design), Molly Crabapple (FTP team profile pics) and Antidote Zine (Transcriptions).

Mar 18, 2026 • 56min
215/ Israel's Wars Won't Be Contained (Monologue)
A monologue about wars in the region spilling beyond borders and why they must be stopped. Reflections on generational hauntings and Lebanon's layered traumas. Personal accounts of anxiety, parenting, and living under recurring bombardment. Calls to hold Western tech and political actors accountable and to reject the idea that this violence is inevitable.

Mar 16, 2026 • 55min
214/ Lebanon Haunts the World (Monologue)
For episode 214, I talk about how Israel's war on Lebanon haunts our world, and why Israeli impunity is creating monstrous realities that can engulf us all.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 PodcastMy recent pieces972Mag: Israel’s renewed war on Lebanon is about more than just HezbollahCrimethinc: “History Is Repeating Itself”Good Law Project: Trump’s illegal war puts all of us at riskAlso, for HauntologiesIsrael's Lebanese GhostsIranian protesters don't owe us an explanationHow Hezbollah Lost EverythingRecent Podcast interviewsThe Final Straw: The US-Israeli War with Iran Spreads, Nuclear Weapons, Lebanon and Anti-Imperial SolidarityThe Dugout: Honoring Political GhostsThe Breakup Theory: Episode 31 – Iran and the US-Israeli Death Drive EconomyMutual Aid linkLebanon emergency reliefCreditsElia Ayoub (host, producer, episode design), Rap and Revenge (Music), Wenyi Geng (TFTT theme design), Hisham Rifai (FTP theme design), Molly Crabapple (FTP team profile pics) and Antidote Zine (Transcriptions).Note on sound qualityThe monologues are done while I pace around which is why you might hear some audio changes, but hopefully pretty minor stuff.

Mar 3, 2026 • 1h 37min
213/ The War on Iran (Monologue)
For episode 213, I talk about the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran, how we got here, and what this means for both Iran and Lebanon. Also: Israel's ideological opposition to the concept of accountability, Israel's decreasing popularity in the US, the Ayatollah's brutal reign, and finally Hezbollah's catastrophic decision to join the war and how this is causing a severe crisis in Lebanon.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 PodcastReferenced:My pieces: Iranian protesters don't owe us an explanation and How Hezbollah Lost EverythingYuval Abraham for 972: ‘A mass assassination factory’: Inside Israel’s calculated bombing of Gaza and ‘Lavender’: The AI machine directing Israel’s bombing spree in GazaAlso: Saudi commentator / Centrist dems / Thread on Israel and accountability / US using AI to bomb IranMutual Aid links: Lebanon emergency reliefCredits:Elia Ayoub (host, producer, episode design), Rap and Revenge (Music), Wenyi Geng (TFTT theme design), Hisham Rifai (FTP theme design), Molly Crabapple (FTP team profile pics) and Antidote Zine (Transcriptions).Transcriptions: Want to help Antidote Zine transcribe episodes? Click here for more info.Note on sound quality: I know there's a bit of a variation as I was pacing between two different rooms. Note to self for next time: stick to one room! I also had to do a quick edit on this one and I may have missed a cough or two. Hopefully not.

Feb 13, 2026 • 37min
212/ Iranian protesters don't owe us an explanation
In which I read my Hauntologies essay "Iranian protesters don't owe us an explanation" (00:00 to 09:50) and reflect on it (09:50-36:49).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 PodcastCredits:Elia Ayoub (host, producer, episode art), Rap and Revenge (Music), Wenyi Geng (TFTT theme design), Hisham Rifai (FTP theme design) and Molly Crabapple (FTP team profile pics)

Feb 5, 2026 • 1h 25min
211/ Organizing Against ICE w/ Nicole Bedera, Ed & Aydin
Elia Ayoub is joined by three folks from Minneapolis, sociologist Nicole Bedera and From The Periphery's very own Aydin and Ed from Antidote Zine, to talk about the ongoing resistance against the federal occupation of the state of Minnesota by ICE. What is happening? How are they resisting? What can we learn from it, here in the UK and elsewhere? Nicole also explained what 'symbolic compliance' means and why we must all be aware of it.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 PodcastOther LinksNicole's article: I’m a Minneapolis sociologist who studies violence. Here’s how ICE observers are helping.Nicole's book: On the Wrong Side - How Universities Protect Perpetrators and Betray Survivors of Sexual ViolenceNicole's Bluesky thread on symbolic complianceCounter Vortex episode on Iran and Minneapolis and Antidotezine's transcriptAntidotezine: Between the Insurrection Act and the InsurrectionsMinnesota Star Tribune: ‘No humanity’: Detainees describe conditions inside Whipple Federal BuildingStand With MinnesotaCredits:Elia Ayoub (host, producer, episode art), Nicole Bedera, Aydin, Ed (guests), Rap and Revenge (Music), Wenyi Geng (TFTT theme design), Hisham Rifai (FTP theme design) and Molly Crabapple (FTP team profile pics)

Jan 26, 2026 • 54min
210/ Another Way Out w/ William C. Anderson
For episode 210, William C. Anderson comes back to The Fire These Times to talk to Elia Ayoub about the current crises in the US and how we should try and understand our current authoritarian moment.Anderson is the author of The Nation on No Map (AK Press 2021) and co-author of As Black as Resistance (AK Press 2018). He writes a column for Prism called Another Way Out and is the co-founder of Offshoot Journal. He was previously on TFTT (episode 107) to talk about Black Anarchism, Abolition and the Radical Tradition.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 PodcastCredits:Elia Ayoub (host, producer, episode art), William C Anderson (guest), Rap and Revenge (Music), Wenyi Geng (TFTT theme design), Hisham Rifai (FTP theme design) and Molly Crabapple (FTP team profile pics)

Jan 6, 2026 • 51min
209/ Burnout, Grief and The Solidarity Apothecary w/ Nicole Rose
For episode 209, Elia sits down with Nicole Rose from The Solidarity Apothecary to talk about her Overcoming Burnout series, which is also a podcast and an e-book. We talked about burnout, grief, trauma, mutual aid, herbalism, and more. Note: this was recorded in November 2025, a few days before the death of my dog Flip. This is why it took until now to publish the episode.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 MoreFrontline Herbalism podcast The Mutual Aid podcastPlum Village app (the meditation mentioned)CreditsElia Ayoub (host, producer, episode design), Nicole Rose (guest), Rap and Revenge (Music), Wenyi Geng (TFTT theme design), Hisham Rifai (FTP theme design) and Molly Crabapple (FTP team profile pics)

Nov 30, 2025 • 18min
The First Masterclass is Here! (Jan/Feb 2026)
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.

Nov 11, 2025 • 53min
208/ What Mamdani's Victory Means w/ Dana El Kurd
For episode 208, Elia and Dana talk about Zahrani Mamdani's victory and what it could mean for all of us.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 PodcastWhat we got into, in no particular order:Dana seeing Mamdani win as a Muslim-American (and Arab/Palestinian) who grew up in the aftermath of 9/11 / Mamdani’s Arabic-language campaign video (in Syrian Arabic - thank you Rama - except when talking to the cat, when he switched to Egyptian Arabic for some reason) and him saying أنا منكم واليكم at his victory speechElia seeing Mamdani win as an Arab who’s never been to New York City but still felt the impact of the War on Terror growing up in LebanonBoth Elia and Dana being Mamdani’s age and how that’s f-ed upHow Mamdani navigated questions about Israel / why we need to be better at making the our opponents face their own contradictions instead of falling in their trapThe Far Right is not inevitable. It can be stopped. Billionaires are not inevitable. They can be stopped.Parallels to the UK with Zack Polanski and the rise of the Green PartyMentions Mamdani Created a Left-Liberal Coalition on Israel/Palestine by Peter BeinartThe Far Right is Not Inevitable | The Fire These Times with Aurelien Mondon (ep. 163)Credits:Dana El Kurd (host), Elia Ayoub (host, producer, episode design), Rap and Revenge (Music), Wenyi Geng (TFTT theme design), Hisham Rifai (FTP theme design) and Molly Crabapple (FTP team profile pics)


