Category Archives: Asia

Anarchist, Asia, Capitalism, Elia J. Ayoub, History, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Middle East, Nuclear, Politics, Transcribed, United States, war, zine

The US-Israeli War with Iran Spreads, Nuclear Weapons, Lebanon and Anti-Imperial Solidarity (with Elia Ayoub)

a photo of Elia Ayoub crouching in a blue jacket in front of a wooded trail, the words "The US-Israeli War with Iran Spreads, Nuclear Weapons, Lebanon & Anti-Imperial Solidarity (with Elia Ayoub) | TFSR 3-15-26”
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This week, we’re sharing our interview with Elia Ayoub, an anti-authoritarian historian and essayist originally from Lebanon, co-founder of From The Periphery media collective, co-host of The Fire These Times podcast and many more things. We spoke about the US and Israeli war on Iran, it’s escalations into the wider region of west Asia, the Axis of Resistance, nuclear weapons, motivations of the various actors involved and thoughts on where that leaves anti-authoritarians in the imperial core countries like the US.

Elia links

Related Episodes:

Mutual Aid in Lebanon

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Featured Track:

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Continue reading The US-Israeli War with Iran Spreads, Nuclear Weapons, Lebanon and Anti-Imperial Solidarity (with Elia Ayoub) →
activism, Anarchist, Asia, Bookfair, General, Nepal, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, Prisons, Transcribed, United States, zine

The “Gen Z” Uprising That Rocked The Nepalese State + 1st PGH Anarchist Book Fair

This week, the show has two segments.

Pittsburgh Anarchist Book Fair

"TFSR 10-19-2025 | Anarcho of Movement in Nepal and The Gen Z Uprising That Rocked The State" and a photo of someone climbing the gilded gates of the Nepalese parliament building, hanging a flag with a skull and crossbones and wearing a straw hat, with the parliament burning in the background
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First up, you’ll hear a brief interview with M, an organizer of the first Pittsburgh anarchist book fair, happening October 24-26 across a few venues in the Steel City

As is anarchist book fair tradition, everything will be free.
We’re renting a few spaces, and expecting a few other costs. Sharing that info here so folks can get a sense of what that looks like. If you/others are inclined and able to support, would be grateful for that.
Attached is an image of the break down as of today, and below is a link we’ll update live time as to what costs look like.
https://pad.riseup.net/p/r.ca0a70f3bd595bb58b9daab4e6d9a576
You can buy a beautiful book fair shirt (design by the illustrious N.O. Bonzo), or simply donate. Venmo: @pghbookfair. (If you’d like a shirt, indicate size in the note – S-3XL; if yr just donating, any emoji or strange note is fine!) Feel free to message for other ways to donate.

“Gen Z” Uprising In Nepal

Then, an interview that I conducted with Anarcho, a member of the Black Book Distro collective out of Kathmandu, Nepal, about the protests and aftermath of the September 2025 “Gen Z” anti-corruption protests that ousted the prime minister, released prisoners and left the parliament in smoldering ruins.

Because we don’t follow a strict chronology of events, we’re including a few articles linked in our show notes for further study. We worked heavily off the interview with members of the Black Book Distro and CrimethInc, which is among those in our show notes.

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Continue reading The “Gen Z” Uprising That Rocked The Nepalese State + 1st PGH Anarchist Book Fair →
Anarchist, Armenia, Asia, Azerbaijan, Feminism, General, Transcribed, war

Anti-Militarist and Feminist Resistance in Azerbaijan

"TFSR 12-10-23 | Anti-Militarist & Feminist Resistance in Azerbaijan"
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This week on the show, you’ll hear an interview with Lala an anarchafeminist in the Azerbaijani group Feminist Peace Collective about the recent war against and expulsion of ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh, about the Aliyev regime and patriotic elements in Azerbaijan’s reaction against anti-militarist voices, conspiracy theories and real critiques of non-profit NGO’s versus grassroots lgbtq+ and feminist organizing, and other topics. You can learn more about Lala’s group at FeministPeaceCollective.Com.

On December 19th at 8pm Caucasus time / UTC+4 (or 11am Eastern Standard or 8am Pacific Standard time) Feminist Peace Collective is hosting an online discussion with Dr. Chiara Bottici via zoom called “Anarchafeminism in troubled times” and with a focus on antifeminist and anti-queer backlash and war in the South Caucasus, central Asia, Turkey and Russia. There’s a registration link here.

Links from Lala

  • Antidoqma, posts in English, Russian and Azerbaijani
  • FemUtopia (facebook), posts in Azerbaijani
  • Transvisionary (Instagram), also posts in Azerbaijani
  • Nafas LGBT (Telegram) , in Azerbaijani
  • Queer Radar, in Azerbaijani
  • Başla, radical publishing (translates literature in azerbaijani on facebook)
  • Egalite, radical publishing (facebook)

Sean Swain

Sean’s segment starts at [ 01:06:24 ]

Announcements

Fundraiser for Emergency Committee for Rojava

There’s a GoFundMe fundraiser for the guests of our October 15th interview, the Emergency Committee for Rojava including some thank-you gifts. More details at https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-emergency-committee-for-rojava-2023

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Featured Track:

  • Down 4 Life (instrumental) by DJ Muggs
Continue reading Anti-Militarist and Feminist Resistance in Azerbaijan →
Anarchist, Armenia, Asia, Azerbaijan, Feminism, History, Russia, Transcribed, Turkey, United States, war, zine

Armenian Anarcha-feminist on Genocide in Nagorno-Karabakh

"TFSR 10-22-23 | Armenian Anarchafeminist on Genocide in Nagorno-Karabakh" featuring a picture of protestors in Yerevan sitting with signs in front of a line of riot cops
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This week on the show, we’re featuring an interview I did recently with Sona, an anarcha-feminist from Yerevan, Armenia, about her experience of anarchism and some of the solidarity efforts related to supporting Armenians expelled from Nagorno-Karabakh, an Armenian enclave within the borders of the neighboring country of Azerbaijan.

Recent crimethInc articles:

From crimethInc “Anarchist Voices…” Article:

a list of NGOs to support refugees in Armenia:

  • The space Letters and Numbers and the Armenian Food Bank have opened a humanitarian aid collection point. Please bring non-perishable food items and clothing to St. Tumanyan, 35G, Yerevan.
  • Volunteer fund for helping victims of the war “Ethos” St. Khorenatsi 30, Yerevan.
  • Sasha Manakina’s collection can be found at this link. Sasha is one of the heroines of the new zine Alarm!
  • The Viva Charitable Foundation has been providing medicine, rehabilitating the wounded, and helping Artsakh since 2016.

Announcement

Support for Jorge Yorch Esquivel

From his support site:

We call for solidarity with our comrade Jorge Esquivel, Yorch, to demand his immediate release and the dismissal of charges against him.

  • Attending the rally during their next hearing on Monday, October 23. The appointment is at 9 a.m. in front of the Orient Prison
  • Organized to make noise and agitation
  • Spread your case
  • Go, call or write to nearby Mexican embassies and consulates to demand their freedom
  • Or any way they like to stand in solidarity so that we can rip our comrade from the clutches of the state and its prisons.

Yorch is imprisoned for crimes fabricated against him as part of a montage that seeks to criminalize the Che Squat / Okupache and its members. He has been held hostage by the Mexican state in Mexico City’s East Reclusion for more than 10 months.

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Featured Track:

  • Wishing (instrumental) by Pete Rock from My Own Worst Enemy (Instrumentals)
Continue reading Armenian Anarcha-feminist on Genocide in Nagorno-Karabakh →
activism, Anarchist, Asia, Author, Autonomia, Communism, History, Korea, North Carolina, PM Press, Prisons, Protest, Rebroadcast, repression

South Korean Social Movements in the 20th Century with George Katsiaficas (rebroadcast)

Book cover of "Asia's Unknown Uprisings Volume 1 South Korean Social Movements in the 20th Century by George Katsiaficas" + "TFSR 2-26-23, Rebroadcast from 2012"
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This week we’re re-airing our 2012 interview with Dr. George Katsiaficas, author and contributor to over a dozen books on Peoples Movements and the elucidator of the Eros Effect. For over a decade, Dr. Katsiaficas has been studying the culture and history of South Korea and it’s culture and has published the a two volume set, the first of which is  entitled Asia’s Unknown Uprisings: South Korean Social Movements in the 20th Century from PM Press.

[ 00:02:09 – 00:50:03 ]

For more of Dr. Katsiaficas’ writing, check out his website at www.eroseffect.com

Shine White

[ 00: 56.41 – 01:19:33 ]

Supporters of Joseph “Shine White” Stewart conducted an interview with him about conditions in the NC prisons, violence and his views on organizing. Shine White is an anti-racist, white,  maoist prisoner.

You can find our 2021 interview with Shine White here.

You can write to Shine White at:

Joseph Stewart #0802041
Granville Correctional
PO Box 247
Phoenix, Maryland 21131

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Featured Tracks:

  • Bella Ciao by Anita Lane from Sex O’Clock
  • Korean Protest Song by Resist and Exist from the Korean Protest Song EP
AK Press, Antifa, Asia, Author, Colonialism, gender, History, Immigration, India, Politics, Racism, Transcribed, United States, zine

Maia Ramnath on Resisting Hindutva

book covers of "Decolonizing Anarchism" & "Art For Life" and the text "TFSR 2-19-23 | Maia Ramnath on Resisting Hindutva"
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This week, we spoke with Maia Ramnath about her essay contribution to ¡No Pasarán!: Antifascist Dispatches From a World in Crisis. The essay was entitled “The Other Aryan Supremacy: Fighting Hindu Fascism in the South Asia Diaspora”. 

For the hour, we talk about about Hindutva, a brand of Indian ethno-religious-nationalism some have called fascism, the organizations that carry it in India and in the sub-continental or Desi diaspora around the world, some of the ideas and actions attributed to it, Islamophobia, Hindutva’s connections with the project of Israel, also it’s overlaps with far right, Nazi-inspired ideologies and how non-Desi anti-fascists can stand in solidarity against it.

Some publications by or including Maia Ramnath:

Other interviews on related topics:

Bursts also recommends Azadi by Arundhati Roy, which includes lots of thoughts on these topics. And you can hear our 2020 interview with Pranav Jeevan P. in Karela state in India which covers many of these same topics, which is also transcribed.

Phone Zap for #StopCopCity Arrestee, Emily Murphy

#StopCopCity protestor Emily Murphy has been in jail for almost a month since being arrested 1/22 following the protest against the police killing of Tortuguita. Emily has been vegan for many years, but the Atlanta City Dentention Center has not been giving them food they can eat. They describe being emaciated and having physical problems after a month of starvation. We are asking that you listen to Emily’s statement, participate in our call in campaign, and show up at Atlanta City Dentention Center at 7pm this Friday (2/24/23) to voice your discontent. We present Emily in their own words

You can find info on this in Blue Ridge ABC’s mastodon post on the subject.

Announcement

Bad News #65

The monthly, English-language podcast from the international A-Radio network is now available at a-radio-network.org for streaming or downloading. You’ll hear updates from antifascist struggle in Bulgaria, news from comrades in Greece as well as info about how the organizing of the 2023 St-Imier anti-authoritarian and anarchist gathering is going in Switzerland recorded by A-Radio Berlin.

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Featured Tracks

Continue reading Maia Ramnath on Resisting Hindutva →
Africa, Anarchist, Asia, Author, Colonialism, Colonization, Conflict, Education, Middle East, Pluto Press, Transcribed, United States, zine

Islam and Anarchism with Mohamed Abdou

Book cover of "Islam and Anarchism" featuring Arabic writing and the words "TFSR 10-02-2022"
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This week, Scott spoke with Mohamed Abdou, a North African-Egyptian Muslim anarchist activist-scholar who is currently a Visiting Scholar at Cornell University and an Assistant Professor of Sociology at the American University of Cairo. Mohamed is the author of the recent book, Islam and Anarchism: Relationships and Resonances published by Pluto Press in 2022.

For nearly 2 hours, Scott and Mohamed speak about Mohamed’s experience of the Tahrir Square uprising of 2011 and the western media coverage of it, current unrest in Iran, Orientalism, decolonial education, Islam, Settler Colonialism, anarchism and a lot more.

You can follow Mohamed on Twitter at @minuetInGMajor or on facebook at @MohammadAbdou2020

Upcoming

Stay tuned next week for a chat with the organizers of the 2022 Atlanta Radical Bookfair and another surprise topic. For patreon supporters, pretty soon we should be sharing early releases of conversations with Robert Graham about his 2015 book “We Don’t Fear Anarchy, We Invoke It” and with Matthew Lyons on far right christian movements and other chats. More on how to support us at tfsr.wtf/support.

Announcements

And now a few brief announcements

Asheville Survival Program Benefit

For listeners in the Asheville area, you’re invited to an outdoor Movie Night benefit for Asheville Survival Program halloweeny season double feature on Saturday October 8th at 6pm at the Static Age River Spot. There’ll be food, music and merch. To find out more sbout the venue, you can contact Asheville Survival via their email or social media, found at linktr.ee/avlsurvival

Atlanta Radical Bookfair

If you’re in the southeast of Turtle Island, consider visiting so-called Atlanta on Saturday, October 15th where from noon to 6pm you’ll find the Atlanta Radical Bookfair at The Auburn Avenue Research Library on African-American Culture and History in Georgia. There’ll be speakers and many tables, including us!

Hurricane Ian Relief

If you want to offer support to folks in Florida around Hurricane Ian, one place to start could be with Central Florida Mutual Aid. They have tons of ways to plug in remotely or on the ground for what is likely to be a long and arduous cleanup and repair effort. You can learn more about them at linktr.ee/CFLMutualAid

Also, Firestorm books is collecting donations of emergency goods at their storefront in Asheville.

A image of text that reads: MUTUAL AID DISASTER RELIEF: A grass-roots donation drive to help families affected by Hurricane lan in Florida. EMERGENCY RELIEF DRIVE - Critically Needed Supplies CLEANUP: • heavy duty storage totes • heavy duty tarps • gas and gas cans glasses • generators • roofing nails • wire brushes • trash bags • brooms • mops • crowbars/prybars/hammers • chainsaws • moisture sensors • dehumidifiers • box fans • 5 gal buckets • respirators and n-95 cartridges • 2x4s • bleach PERSONAL NEEDS: • baby formula • coolers • dollar store water • gatorade • sweets/candies/comfort items/kids snacks • laundry detergent • washboards • mosquito spray • toilet paper • solar charging items and battery banks • apple cider vinegar • diapers • baby wipes To donate supplies, drop them at Firestorm Books 610 Haywood Rd. Asheville, NC anytime the bookstore is open For more information on how you can help, visit mutualaiddisasterrelief.org

Prisons in the Wake of Ian

We’ve regrettably missed the opportunity to promote the phone zap campaigns to raise awareness of prisoners in the path of Hurricane Ian before the storm hit, but suggest that folk check out FightToxicPrisons.Wordpress.Com to learn more about efforts to press public officials to heed the calls to protect prisoners during storms like this rather than follow the path of inertia and cheapness that leads to unnecessary deaths of folks behind bars.

#ShutDownADOC2022

Urgent Phone Zap On 9/29, Robert Earl Council (aka Kinetic Justice) was assaulted by guards and placed in solitary confinement at Limestone Correctional Facility as retaliation for his exposing the ADOC and participating in the Alabama prison strike Call Warden William Streeter at (256) 233-4600 Call Commisioner John Hamm at (334) 353-3883 -DEMAND Robert Earl Council be released from solitary -DEMAND no more retaliation -DEMAND all prisoner demands be met #shutdownADOC2022 UTIONS

There is currently a prison strike within the Alabama Department of Corrections known by the hashtag #ShutDown ADOC2022. Campaigners have organized a call-in campaign to demand an end to retaliation against Kinetic Justice (s/n Robert Earl Council) who has been assaulted by guards on September 29th and placed in solitary confinement as well as retaliation of any prisoners participating, Kinetic’s release from solitary and the meeting of prisoners demands. Supporters are asking folks to call Warden William Streeter at (256) 233-4600 or Commissioner John Hamm at (334) 353-3883. You can find a recent interview with Kinetic at Unicorn Riot, as well as more on the prison strike at UnicornRiot.Ninja

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Featured Tracks:

Continue reading Islam and Anarchism with Mohamed Abdou →
abolition, Anarchist, Asia, Autonomy, community, Feminism, Philippines, Philosophy, Transcribed, zine

Abolition in the Philippines with The Dinner Party and family

[00:09:34 – 01:43:24]

"Abolitionism & Anarchy in the Philippines } TFSR 24-07-22" featuring logos for Abolisyon, The Dinner Party, PaglayaPup and Cavite Mutual Aid
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This week we’re sharing an interview that we conducted with anarchists and abolitionists mostly in and around Manila, the capital of the Philippines. You’ll hear from K, Honey, Adrienne, Castle, Magsalin and R. During the chat they share about their projects, discussions of abolitionism in the Philippines, decolonization discourse, informal organizing, accountability and challenging patriarchal dynamics in the traditional left and more.

Collectives Participating:

Other Links of note:

References relevant to what was discussed in the podcast

Kevin Rashid Johnson Update

[01:43:44 – end]

You’ll hear Kevin Rashid Johnson of the Revolutionary Intercommunal Black Panther Party talk about the continued denial of medical treatment at Nottoway CI in Virginia and thanking supporters who have been calling in. You can find details on how to continue the call-in campaign in the July 17th episode.

Sean Swain on Mass Shootings

[00:01:14 – 00:09:34]

Sean talks about the uselessness of police in mass shootings, basically.

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Featured Track:

  • Abolish Work by The (International) Noise Conspiracy from The First Conspiracy
Continue reading Abolition in the Philippines with The Dinner Party and family →
Anarchist, Anarchist Media, Asia, Communism, General, Neoliberalism, Politics, Transcribed, Vietnam, zine

Mèo Mun, Anarchist Views from Vietnam

a red & black flag background, purple cat holding a
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Mèo Mun is an anarchist collective working to make anarchist materials and ideas more accessible to a Vietnamese audience, together with providing an analysis of social struggles from a Vietnamese anarchist lens. Over the next hour you’ll hear three collective members, Mai, Will and tùng share their critiques of leftist misrepresentations of the Vietnamese State as Socialist, lasting impacts of imperialism and war on populations of Vietnam, the centering US imaginaries of Vietnam, the struggles of working class people in general (and queer folks and sex workers in particular) in Vietnam, nationalism promoted by the government and other topics.

Mèo Mun links:

Other Links of Interest:

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Featured Tracks:

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Anarchist, Asia, Colonialism, Feminism, India, Police, Protest, Race, Racism, Transcribed, zine

An Indian Anarchist on Anti Caste Organizing and More!

A photo of Pranav leaning on a column with arms folded
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This week we are very happy to present an interview with Pranav Jeevan P, who is a student, a writer, an anti-caste activist, and an Indian anarchist living in the state of Kerala. You are listening to the full extended audio from this conversation, where you’ll hear Pranav explaining how he got into anarchism, how anarchistic praxis unfolds in India, some about the origins of and worldwide implications of the caste system, anti-caste organizing and how anarchism feeds it, and about how the BJP and Hindutva have real influence on people’s lives and destinies.

He further touches on the struggle of Dalit and Other Backwards Caste folks and how this tendency has always had solidarity with Black liberation here on Turtle Island, much more information about the anti CAA protest and the Farmer’s Protest, a little bit about the ongoing military occupation of the state of Kashmir, and many more topics. There is already a lot of really good anti-caste hip hop out there, mostly performed by those in oppressed castes, and I’ll be including a bunch of those tracks which have been recommended by our guest, plus providing links in the show notes.

There are a lot of terms in this episode which may be unfamiliar to all listeners, and we warmly invite folks to take a look at our show notes for this episode to see links for further reading and research. Please also look forward in the coming week to this show being transcribed in full, if you would like a copy to send to a friend or to read along while listening.

Send Solidarity while India fights the pandemic!

Also you may have heard that covid is spreading out of control in India right now, in no small part due to government mismanagement. Please also take a look at this ongoing list of donations compiled by the group Students Against Hidutva Ideology. You can follow this group on Twitter @Students_A_H to see their updates and events. You can also follow India Solidarity Network on Instagram for updates on COVID in India.

We will link to a form for mental healthcare workers to donate their time and services to Indian frontline healthcare workers, who are really struggling right now.

Pranav’s social media links:

Links to articles by Pranav Jeevan P:

Incomplete list of people and topics mentioned by our guest, for further reading:

You Are the Resistance

Please be aware that in this segment, sean speaks about the Derek Chauvin trial and the murder of people at the hands of police. If you would prefer to skip this subject matter, you can skip forward about 8 and a half minutes. This segment occurs at the end of the episode, [02:02:27-02:10:58]

May Day

Happy May Day, y’all. We hope that you have a rebellious and joyous celebration in whatever way you see fit this week. If you’re looking for a place to hook in or have a public event, consider checking out ItsGoingDown’s post “May Day Is Our Day” and joining in or adding to their list.

NYC ABC has called for people to get together and to write anarchist prisoners Casey Brezik, Bill Dunne and Gage Halupowski, more info at NYCABC.Wordpress.Com or linked in our show notes.

Finally, another idea is to act in solidarity with the “Eyes on Starbucks: Don’t Fund Tigray Genocide!” call from the Indigenous Action Federation and Horn Anarchists from Eastern Africa for boycott and protest actions against the genocidal actions in Ethiopia from May 1st – 7th. More info on that linked in our show notes and at https://iaf-fai.org where you can find background, stencil designs and ideas of places to apply pressure.

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Featured Tracks:

Continue reading An Indian Anarchist on Anti Caste Organizing and More! →