Episode
Honoring Political Ghosts With Elia Ayoub
- Published
- Mar 15, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 6398
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Summary
In this episode of The Dugout, we’re joined by Lebanese writer, researcher, and podcast host Elia Ayoub, founder of The Fire These Times . Together we unpack Lebanon’s sectarian political system, the long shadow of the Lebanese Civil War, and the global political frameworks that shape how people interpret struggles in SWANA today. Elia reflects on growing up in post–civil war Lebanon and how events like the 2006 Israeli invasion and the 2019 October uprising shaped his political thinking. The conversation explores how sectarian governance, regional geopolitics, and foreign intervention—from the United States to Iran—intersect with grassroots organizing and everyday survival. We also dive into campism, a political tendency that reduces global politics to simplistic “sides,” often erasing local movements and struggles. Elia explains why this framework has distorted how many Western audiences understand conflicts in Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine. Throughout the conversation, we discuss memory, nostalgia, and political “hauntings” in post-conflict societies—drawing on thinkers like James Baldwin and the concept of hauntology to understand how nations shape identity through the stories they tell about the past. Finally, we explore the possibilities of international solidarity, asking how Black radical traditions, abolitionist politics, and anti-imperialist movement -------------------------- Check out Elia's work https://eliaayoub.com/about-2/ https://thefirethesetimes.com/ https://thefirethesetimes.com/lebanonclass/ -------------------------- Chapters 00:43 What is a Young Elia like 01:17 what were some formative experiences for you? 02:16 What is writing like for you 03:39 What languages were the book you were reading in? 04:26 what did expanding your writing and The Fire…