Eric Nam in the music video for his song “Don’t Leave Yet.” Photo: YouTube screenshot

Korean-American singer and songwriter Eric Nam announced on Sunday his decision to cancel an upcoming concert in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, after receiving threats for “liking” an Instagram post that condemned the Hamas terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians that took place earlier this month.

Nam, 34, “liked” a post by political strategist Jordan C. Brown that criticized Hamas for murdering 1,400 people and kidnapping more than 200 others in Israel on Oct. 7. The post said that it is “absolutely reasonable and logical to oppose the Israeli government’s treatment of Palestinians while simultaneously calling for the protection of Jews in Israel and around the world.” It concluded by saying that the public “can and must always use our voices to denounce terrorism and the senseless murder of civilians.”

For “liking” the post, Nam was accused by social media users of supporting a “genocide” against Palestinians while others said he “only spoke on behalf of Israel and Jews.”

In a post on X/Twitter, Nam explained that he “liked” the Instagram post because he believed it “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 pro-human, pro-peace, and for love and equality for all,” he added. “After that, I received threats related to my scheduled show in Kuala Lumpur. Out of an abundance of caution for my team and my fans, I made the difficult decision to cancel the show.”

Malaysia, a Muslim-majority country, maintains close relations with Hamas, and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has refused to condemn the Palestinian terrorist organization’s massacre of Israelis earlier this month. During Israel’s conflict with Hamas in 2021, several Malaysian anti-Israel groups launched a campaign to spam, suspend, or block pro-Israel content and accounts on social media and messaging platforms. Malaysia has also repeatedly boycotted and banned Israel’s participation in international sporting events in recent years, even forfeiting its right to host a FIFA soccer convention because of Israeli involvement.

Nam concluded his message on X by saying: “My heart is broken for the Palestinian and Israeli families that have been ripped apart by violence and are facing unimaginable loss. 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.”