Best The Lebanese Politics Podcast Podcasts (2024)

1
158/ The Threat of Christian Fascism in Lebanon w/ Justin Salhani 1:02:26

11h ago1:02:26

1:02:26

For Episode 158, Elia Ayoub is joined by Lebanese journalist and friend of the pod Justin Salhani to talk about recent calls for and acts of violence by far right Lebanese Christians against Syrian refugees. In addition to giving context with regards to what's happening, they talk about Lebanon as a structurally violent state, one which has always …

1
157/ Taking Authoritarianism Seriously w/ Bill Fletcher Jr 1:22:37

7d ago1:22:37

1:22:37

For episode 157, Elia Ayoub sits with Bill Fletcher Jr to talk about why downplaying authoritarianism is so dangerous, whether with regards to the upcoming US elections or even in organising spaces. We spoke about the US, Lebanon, Syria, Zimbabwe and more. Bill Fletcher Jr is a longtime USA-based labor and social justice activist who has worked for…

1
156/Obscuristan: Navalny from the Periphery w/ Anna, Karena & Daniel 1:09:44

1M ago1:09:44

1:09:44

In this special collab episode between Obscuristan and The Fire These Times, Karena Avedissian and Anna are joined by Daniel Voskoboynik to discuss the life of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and what his death means for those of us not quite at the heart of the Russian empire. Plus, Anna and Karena announce that they're joining the wider …

1
Politically Depressed Eps. 9-12 1:44:13

1M ago1:44:13

1:44:13

This is a compilation of 4 episodes of our new podcast Politically Depressed, created by writer and organizer Ayman Makarem. These are episodes 9-12 compiled into one long episode (with time codes below). If you enjoy this podcast, please consider following and rating it on whatever app you use to listen to your podcasts (It really makes a huge dif…

1
155/ The '82 Israeli Siege of Beirut: Similarities and Differences with Gaza Today w/ Justin Salhani 1:05:54

2M ago1:05:54

1:05:54

For episode 155, Ayman sits with Beirut-based journalist and friend of the show, Justin Salhani, to talk about his recent essay for Al-Jazeera. Expanding on the essay, the two talk about parallels between the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon and siege of Beirut and the ongoing genocide in Gaza. As two children of survivors of the '82 siege, their c…

1
154/ Anti-Imperialism After the Syrian Revolution w/ Sahar Amarir 1:22:47

2M ago1:22:47

1:22:47

For episode 154, French-Moroccan-Amazigh analyst Sahar Amarir joins Elia J. Ayoub and Leila Al-Shami to talk about her piece "Imperialist is Multiple, so Should be Our Solidarities: on the Need for Post-Post-Colonialism" published in The Funambulist. The best way to support The Fire These Times is: Through ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/firethesetimes⁠⁠. With a …

1
153/ Living Like the World is Dying w/ Margaret Killjoy 1:25:51

2M ago1:25:51

1:25:51

For episode 153, anarchist writer, musician and podcaster Margaret Killjoy joins Elia J. Ayoub and Aydın Yıldız to talk about the very easy topic of apocalypse. What does that even mean? And how do we deal with that without falling into complete despair? Many of y'all know that one of the taglines of this pod is building the new in the shell of the…

1
152/ Israel and American Jewish Dissent w/ Geoffrey Levin 49:30

2M ago49:30

49:30

For episode 152, Dana El Kurd hosts Geoffrey Levin to talk about his book "Our Palestine Question: Israel and American Jewish Dissent, 1948-1978". Levin is assistant professor of Middle Eastern and Jewish Studies at Emory University and the Director of Undergraduate Engagement at Emory’s Tam Institute for Jewish Studies. Our Palestine Question is a…

1
Politically Depressed Eps. 5-8 1:34:54

3M ago1:34:54

1:34:54

This is a compilation of 4 episodes of our new podcast Politically Depressed, a weekly podcast by Lebanese writer and organizer Ayman Makarem. These are episodes 5-8 compiled into one long episode (with time codes below). If you enjoy this podcast, please consider following and rating it on whatever app you use to listen to your podcasts!Time codes…

1
151/ Climate Fiction for Future Ancestors w/ Tory Stephens 1:00:39

3M ago1:00:39

1:00:39

For episode 151, Joey Ayoub and Daniel Voskoboynik host Tory Stephens, Climate Fiction Creative Manager at Grist.org, to talk about Imagine 2200: Climate Fiction for Future Ancestors and why narrative work is an integral part of any climate solution. Why does Imagine 2200 choose hope over dystopia? What are effective narrative shifting tactics and …

1
150/ The Israeli War on Southern Lebanon w/ Karim Safieddine, Michelle Eid & Justin Salhani 59:54

3M ago59:54

59:54

For episode 150, Lebanese journalist Justin Salhani guest hosts Lebanese researchers Michelle Eid and Karim Safieddine to talk about the under-reported and overlooked war in southern Lebanon. They look at the human impact of this conflict on Lebanon - a country that in just over four years has experienced a stunted revolution, one of modern history…

1
Politically Depressed - First 4 Episodes 1:34:35

3M ago1:34:35

1:34:35

The Fire These Times is expanding into a network of autonomous, decentralized projects and podcasts from the periphery. The first new addition to this media ecosystem is Politically Depressed, a new weekly, blog-style podcast by Lebanese writer and organizer Ayman Makarem. We've compiled the first 4 episodes of Politically Depressed into this compi…

1
149/ How Azerbaijan is Greenwashing Genocide w/ Karena Avedissian and Anna 1:08:04

4M ago1:08:04

1:08:04

For episode 149, Joey sat down with Karena Avedissian and Anna, TFTT returnees and co-hosts of Obscuristan, a podcast which is soon joining the broader network (whaaat? - We talk about that at the beginning of the episode). We talked about Azerbaijan hosting COP29 next year, the global climate conference, and why it might be a problem for a petro-d…

1
148/ Understanding Seen and Unseen Violence in Israel-Palestine w/ Diana Greenwald & Alexei Abrahams 57:31

4M ago57:31

57:31

For episode 148, Dana El Kurd and Joey Ayoub are joined by Diana Greenwald and Alexei Abrahams to talk about seen and unseen violence in Israel-Palestine. They explore the many forms of violence of the Israeli occupation that led to the October 7 massacre and the brutal Israeli response in Gaza. What is kinetic violence? What is structural violence…

1
147/ From Capitalism Realism to Solarpunk Realities w/ HydroponicTrash, Luka Dowell, Ariel Kroon 1:26:35

5M ago1:26:35

1:26:35

This is an episode that Joey recorded a few months ago. We're releasing it now to take a bit of a break from our exploration of Israel-Palestine and because Solarpunk is how at least one of us, Joey, tries to create hope where none exists. This episode was recorded after the four of us - Joey, Ariel Kroon, Luka Dowell and Andre aka @HydroponicTrash…

1
Palestine and Global Solidarity - Remastered w/ Sumaya Awad and Shireen Akram-Boshar 1:09:16

5M ago1:09:16

1:09:16

In this remastered release, Joey Ayoub is joined by Sumaya Awad and Shireen Akram-Boshar. Awad is a co-editor of the book Palestine: A Socialist Introduction, and Akram-Boshar is a contributor to the same book. Originally released on May 20th 2021, this episode has been remastered and re-released. Many of the topics discussed - including the ethnic…

1
146/ Jewish Safety Means Palestinian Liberation: Organizing In Israel-Palestine After Oct 7 w/ Sally Abed, Orly Noy and Amjad Iraqi 59:22

5M ago59:22

59:22

In episode 146, Joey Ayoub and Dana El-Kurd talk to Sally Abed, Orly Noy and Amjad Iraqi. Abed is a member of the national leadership of Standing Together (עומדים ביחד نقف معًا), a grassroots movement mobilizing Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel in pursuit of peace, equality, and social and climate justice. Orly Noy is the chair of B'Tselem…

1
145/ Arab Jews For Palestinian Liberation w/ Hadar Cohen and Dahab Kashi 1:12:35

5M ago1:12:35

1:12:35

Daniel and Joey host a conversation between Hadar Cohen and Dahab Kashi, exploring the radical power of Arab Jewish perspectives. Often seen as mutually exclusive identities, the existence and experience of Arab Jews transcends the narrow, and violent, confines of both Zionism and Arab Nationalism. The artist Yossi Zabari spoke about the power of t…

1
Understanding Hamas: Anti-Authoritarian Perspectives - Remastered 1:07:06

6M ago1:07:06

1:07:06

In light of the genocidal onslaught against Palestinians in Gaza following the October 7th Hamas attack, we've decided to re-release an old episode on Hamas, Gaza, and Palestine-Israel. In this episode from June 2021, Joey interviews Tareq Baconi, author of the book "Hamas Contained: The Rise and Pacification of Palestinian Resistance" published in…

1
144/ Against the Imperialist Impulse w/ Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na'im 1:16:55

6M ago1:16:55

1:16:55

For episode 144, Daniel is joined by renowned Sudanese Professor Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na’im for a wide-ranging conversation on human rights, spirituality, and inter-cultural justice. Professor An-Na’im is an internationally recognized scholar of Islam and human rights, specifically from cross-cultural perspectives, and teaches courses in internationa…

1
Special Episode: Roundtable on Israel-Palestine w/ Dana El Kurd, Orly Noy, and Yair Wallach 1:31:16

6M ago1:31:16

1:31:16

On October 7th, Hamas fighters breached the militarized fence separating the occupied Gaza strip from Israeli communities in the south, killing 1400 people and taking 200 hostages. Israel immediately retaliated with severe bombardment of the Gaza strip that, at the time of this writing, has killed 7000 people. In the West Bank, settler violence and…

1
143/ Sudan in Revolution and War w/ Dalia Abdelmoniem and Raga Makawi 1:13:56

6M ago1:13:56

1:13:56

Ayman Makarem is joined by two Sudanese commentators, Raga Makawi and Dalia Abdelmoniem, to talk about the war in Sudan. Both guests talk at length about the situation as well as the political, economic, and revolutionary context it exists within. This intimate discussion explores the many ways Sudanese people are reflecting on and struggling again…

1
142/ How the World Failed Nagorno-Karabakh w/ Karena Avedissian & Anna 1:01:03

7M ago1:01:03

1:01:03

Joey is joined by returning guests Karena Avedissian and Anna to talk about the recent crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh / Artsakh where the near entirety of the ethnic Armenian population was ethnically cleansed by Azerbaijan. The Aliyev dictatorship running Azerbaijan has met no challenges from the so-called international community - quite the contrary.…

1
141/ How the EU Criminalizes Solidarity with Migrants w/ Border Violence Monitoring Network 55:07

7M ago55:07

55:07

Joey is joined by Anas & Elena from the Border Violence Monitoring Network to talk about the way in which the European Union is criminalizing solidarity with migrants and how the EU has turned the Mediterranean into a giant graveyard for people who look like me. You can support The Fire These Times on ⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/firethesetimes⁠⁠⁠⁠ with a month…

1
140/ The Moral Urgency of Degrowth w/ Timothée Parrique & Yusra Bitar 1:05:03

7M ago1:05:03

1:05:03

Joey is joined by French economist and researcher Timothée Parrique and Lebanese researcher Yusra Bitar to talk about why tackling our world's most pressing challenges must include conversations around degrowth. Timothée Parrique is a researcher at the School of Economics and Management of Lund University (Sweden) and is the lead author of “Decoupl…

1
139/ Anti-Imperialism From the Periphery w/ Leila Al Shami, Romeo Kokriatski & Dana El Kurd 1:04:20

8M ago1:04:20

1:04:20

Joey is joined by Leila Al-Shami, British-Syrian activist and co-author of Burning Country: Syrians in Revolution and War, Romeo Kokriatski, Ukrainian-American managing editor of The New Voice of Ukraine and co-host of the Ukraine Without Hype podcast, and Dana El Kurd, Palestinian-American assistant professor in the department of political science…

1
138/ We Need To Talk About Twitter w/ Musa Okwonga and Justin Salhani 1:18:42

8M ago1:18:42

1:18:42

After some 12 years on the site, I've finally deleted my Twitter account. Its takeover by a profoundly narcissistic, mediocre and insecure bigot gave me that extra excuse I'd been looking for all these years. But why does any of that matter? After all, isn't it 'just a website'? Yes. And no. Whether you are an activist or a scholar or a journalist …

1
Malek’s Way To The HangOver 31:24

9M ago31:24

31:24

Meet Malek, a 19-year-old driven young man from Lebanon, revolutionizing the Ecommerce landscape. The genius behind "The Hangover," Malek has redefined party gaming, captivating audiences in just four months. Unconventional in his approach, he diverged from traditional education, delving into entrepreneurship. Fuelled by innovation and tech-savvine…

1
Our Journey to Gibran’s Sanctuary: Exploring Bcharre and the Prophet’s Legacy 7:18

10M ago7:18

7:18

Welcome to this captivating episode of Real Arabic! In this edition, we embark on a remarkable journey to the enchanting town of Bcharre, a place deeply intertwined with the life and legacy of the revered Arab poet and writer, Gibran Khalil Gibran. Known far and wide as "The Prophet" due to the profound impact of his literary masterpiece translated…

1
Queer Mutual Aid Lebanon Special Fundraising! 32:11

11M ago32:11

32:11

The Fire These Times is fundraising for Queer Mutual Aid Lebanon! Here to talk to us about their work, queer mutual aid in Lebanon and why they started working after the October 2019 uprising and the 2020 crises (Covid-19, August 4 explosion, economic crisis and more) is repeated guest and buddy-in-chief Ayman Makarem. To support them: ● Patreon: h…

1
The Impact of the Russia/Ukraine Conflict on MENA Countries Part 2 21:17

12M ago21:17

21:17

In this episode, we examine the impact of the ongoing Russia/Ukraine conflict on MENA countries PART 2. Join us as we discuss how this conflict is affecting the region's stability, economic ties, and political alliances. Stay tuned for a fascinating look into this important topic. To sign up for classes and for transcripts and translations, go to o…

1
137/ Re-membering the Nakba, Imagining the Future w/ Dana El Kurd 1:20:41

12M ago1:20:41

1:20:41

I'm joined again by friend of the pod Dana El Kurd, a Palestinian researcher who specializes in Comparative Politics and International Relations. We talked about Nakba Day (May 15), about the importance of reflecting on the past while also trying to plan for the future, and how we can commemorate the Nakba by building bonds across nations and strug…

1
136/ When War Gets Normalized, Or What's At Stake in Ukraine w/ Mariam Naiem and Romeo Kokriatski 1:34:16

1y ago1:34:16

1:34:16

I'm joined again by friends of the pod Ukrainian researcher Mariam Naiem and journalist Romeo Kokriatski to talk about why Ukrainians understood very quickly what's at stake, how war leads to frozen temporalities, and why Russia is so obsessed with kidnapping Ukrainian children (which, by the way, is a war crime). Slava Ukraini! You can support The…

1
135/ Radical Legacies of the Mexican Revolution w/ Christina Heatherton and Daniel Macmillen Voskoboynik 1:28:51

1y ago1:28:51

1:28:51

I'm very excited to share with you this conversation I had with Christina Heatherton, the author of "Arise! Global Radicalism in the Era of the Mexican Revolution", alongside friend of the pod Daniel Macmillen Voskoboynik who joined us as co-host. The Mexican Revolution was a global event that catalyzed international radicals in unexpected sites an…

1
Unlocked. When You're Not The Target Audience: Two Arab Millennials Talk About Seinfeld w/ Ayman Makarem (Premium 1) 1:30:14

1y ago1:30:14

1:30:14

In which I sat down with friend of the pod Lebanese writer Ayman Makarem for the first ever premium episode. This was first recorded for Patreons in February 2023 and I'm now releasing it to the wider public. What made Seinfeld so special to Ayman as a queer kid from Lebanon? And what is it like to watch shows that don't have you in mind as their t…

1
134/ Why White Nationalists Love Assad w/ Leila Al-Shami and Shon Meckfessel 53:51

1y ago53:51

53:51

In which I sat down with my buds Leila Al-Shami and Shon Meckfessel to talk about how and why a bunch of fascists became fans of everyone's favorite genocidal mass murdering dictator, Bashar (يلعن روحك يا) Assad, who was recently voted most likely to end up like Mussolini by I-just-made-it-up magazine. Leila, a recurring guest, is the co-author of …

1
The Impact of the Russia/Ukraine Conflict on MENA Countries Part 1 9:27

1y ago9:27

9:27

In this episode, we examine the impact of the ongoing Russia/Ukraine conflict on MENA countries. Join us as we discuss how this conflict is affecting the region's stability, economic ties, and political alliances. Stay tuned for a fascinating look into this important topic. Please consider supporting this podcast through Patreon: https://www.patreo…

1
133/ Overcoming the Trauma of Caste w/ Thenmozhi Soundararajan, Rhythima Shinde and Vivek Ramachandran 1:37:07

1y ago1:37:07

1:37:07

This is a conversation with Thenmozhi Soundararajan, the author of 'The Trauma of Caste: A Dalit Feminist Meditation on Survivorship, Healing and Abolution'. She is a Dalit American commentator on religion, race, caste, gender, technology and justice. She is also the Executive Director of Equality Labs. We were joined by my friends Rhythima Shinde …

1
132/ Let's Talk About Youth Autonomy w/ carla joy bergman 1:05:26

1y ago1:05:26

1:05:26

This is a conversation with carla joy bergman, the editor of the excellent book "Trust Kids!: Stories on Youth Autonomy and Confronting Adult Supremacy" and co-author of the equally excellent book "Joyful Militancy: Building Thriving Resistance in Toxic Times", both published by AK Press. She's also the co-host of the Grounded Futures podcast along…

1
131/ Commoning in Lebanon's Palestinian Refugee Camps w/ Yafa El Masri 1:22:25

1y ago1:22:25

1:22:25

This is a conversation with Yafa El Masri, a Palestinian refugee researcher who grew up in Burj El Barajneh in Beirut, Lebanon. She's currently finishing her PhD at the University of Padova in Italy. We primarily spoke about her paper "72 Years of Homemaking in Waiting Zones: Lebanon's “Permanently Temporary” Palestinian Refugee Camps" which she pr…

1
130/ Armenian-ness and Solidarity in a Changing World w/ Karena Avedissian and Anna 1:52:57

1y ago1:52:57

1:52:57

This is a conversation with Karena Avedissian and Anna, and a collaboration with their podcast Obscuristan. The main thread of our conversation was about Armenian-ness and how complicated of an identity it is due to the old and transnational history of Armenians. Some have ancestry in the Ottoman empire and therefore feel closer to the Levant, espe…

1
Manar & Dzovig interview! 4:47

1y ago4:47

4:47

In this episode, we interviewed Dzovig and Manar to tell us about the upcoming exhibition In Beirut! Please consider supporting this podcast through Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=22262458 Follow us on social media: https://www.facebook.com/Real-Arabic-2302534876496330 https://www.instagram.com/real.arabic2/ https://twitter.com/RealArabicP…

1
129/ The Meaning of Time in Prison w/ Morgan Godvin and Molly Hagan 1:31:20

1y ago1:31:20

1:31:20

This is a conversation with Morgan Govin and Molly Hagan. This is how Morgan introduces herself on her website: "I spent five years addicted to heroin and four years incarcerated as a direct result of my addiction. I lost my mom and four close friends to overdose. I found a system of injustice within the US justice system. Now, I work to change the…

1
128/ The Islamic Regime of Iran Will Fall w/ Vicky and Kiana 1:24:20

1y ago1:24:20

1:24:20

This conversation with two Iranian activists, both of whom will remain anonymous for obvious reasons. 'Vicky' joined us from Tehran, and Kiana from Manchester. We talked about the recent Iranian uprising following the murder of Jina 'Mahsa' Amini and why 'reforming' the regime cannot work. We spoke about the strikes, the clear gendered aspect of th…

1
127/ Against Multipolar Imperialism: An Internationalist Response w/ Kavita Krishnan, Promise Li and Romeo Kokriatski 1:41:08

1y ago1:41:08

1:41:08

I'm excited to share with you my convo with Kavita Krishnan, Promise Li and Romeo Kokriatski on why the idea of multipolarity needs to be understood & critiqued, and why the left cannot abandon anti-authoritarianism and internationalism. Kavita Krishnan is an Indian Marxist and Feminist who used to be a politburo member of the Communist Party of In…

1
Premium Episode 1: Watching Seinfeld as Arab Millennials w/ Ayman Makarem (Sample) 5:52

1y ago5:52

5:52

In which I talk about Seinfeld with fellow Arab millennial and writer (and previous guest of the podcast) Ayman Makarem. It's that simple! What made that sitcom so special to Ayman as a queer kid from Lebanon? And what is it like to watch shows that don't have you in mind as their target audience? This is a sample episode. To listen to the full epi…

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126/ The Memory We Could Be: Fear and Our Ecological Future w/ Daniel Macmillen Voskoboynik 1:30:57

1y ago1:30:57

1:30:57

Daniel Macmillen Voskoboynik is the Argentinian author of The Memory We Could Be: Overcoming Fear to Create Our Ecological Future and amongst the most fascinating thinkers I know. He's also a good friend. We spoke about reckoning with past ecological violence of, bio-cultural memory and our collective ecological heritage. Basically, why we need to …

1
125/ Understanding (Anti-)Fascism in a World in Crisis w/ Shane Burley 1:06:03

1y ago1:06:03

1:06:03

This is an episode with writer and filmmaker Shane Burley, editor of the must-read book published by AK Press: "No Pasarán! Antifascist Dispatches from a World in Crisis." It is an anthology of antifascist writing that takes up the fight against white supremacy and the far-right from multiple angles. From the history of antifascism to today's movem…

1
124/ Jessie Gender on how Star Trek deals with neurodiversity, race, and queerness 59:25

1+ y ago59:25

59:25

Jessie Gender is a known YouTuber and commentator who deals with the nuance in the nerdy, focusing on LGBTQ issues (especially the transgender community), women, nonbinary and autistic people as well as other social and political issues through geek topics. Both Jessie and Joey also happen to be Trekkies on the autism spectrum which gave this conve…

1
123/ Hauntings, Futurisms and the Present Movement w/ Luka Dowell aka Solarpunk Now! 1:38:31

1+ y ago1:38:31

1:38:31

Luka Dowell joins Joey Ayoub to talk about Hauntings, Futurisms, and Solarpunk. Luka is the host of the podcast Solarpunk Now! which I highly recommend. They are passionate about theory, politics, art, science/tech, sustainability. Topics that interest them include ecology, psychology, economics, digital media and online communities, and our future…

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