K-Pop singer Eric Nam had to call-off a show in Malaysia after receiving threatening messages for “liking” a post relating to the ongoing Palestine-Israel war.
The 34-year-old “liked” a post on Instagram by political strategist Jordan C. Brown-Underwood, condemning activities by the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas. Brown-Underwood went on to say that it’s possible to oppose the Israeli government’s treatment of Palestine while also protecting Jews “in Israel and around the world.”
Although Nam did not directly comment on the conflict, his “like” sparked controversy, with some claiming he supports the genocide in Gaza and he “only spoke on behalf of Israel and Jews.”
Nam was supposed to perform in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on February 20, 2024. The country is a Muslim-majority state and has an open relationship with the Hamas, with many of its people supporting Palestine. After liking the post, Nam said he received threats relating to the scheduled show.
In a statement on X, Nam explained himself, noting that he liked a post “that I believed expressed a position of anti-violence, anti-hate and was against intolerance.”
Hi everyone – following the horrific events of October 7th, I liked a post that I believed expressed a position of anti-violence, anti-hate and was against intolerance.
My liking of that post was a reaction to waking up to devastating news, as someone who has always been… pic.twitter.com/GyMx4Fuii0— Eric Nam (에릭남) (@ericnamofficial) October 30, 2023
“My liking of that post was a reaction to waking up to devastating news, as someone who has always been pro-human, pro-peace, and for love and equality for all,” Nam said.
However, after receiving threats, he had to cancel the show “out of an abundance of caution for my team and my fans.”
“My heart is broken for the Palestinian and Israeli families that have been ripped apart by violence and are facing unimaginable loss,” Nam said. “Nothing I say can be enough when there is so much pain and suffering, but I am praying every day that there is peace and safety for everyone soon.”
Nam’s concert schedule has been updated to reflect the removal of the Malaysia show. Currently, Nam is on his House on a World Tour, hitting cities across North America through December. Next year, the tour will pick-up again for a round of dates in Asia followed by gigs in Europe, the U.K., Australia, and New Zealand. Fans can score tickets via MegaSeats (with 10% off using the code “TICKETNEWS”), StubHub, and Ticket Club, where readers can score a free membership with the code “TICKETNEWS.”
Last month, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict made national news when a music festival in southern Israel ended in tragedy, leaving hundreds dead in a surprise Hamas attack. The “Supernova” festival, which brought-in thousands of people to the Israeli desert of Negev in Re’im near the Gaza border to coincide with the Jewish festival of Sukkot, left 260 people dead. The current war is the fifth war on the Gaza Strip as a part of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Amid the war, popstar Bruno Mars had to cancel his sold-out gig at Hayarkon Park in Tel Aviv.
