“This was the first time, and probably the last time this will ever happen. In Jakarta, the mic got taken from me, many fucking times throughout the set," says Nader. "It gives me some hope to continue doing this. They took the mic and sang the songs in Arabic, and my heart was just melted. I couldn’t believe it.”
New York City Arabic-language punk band Haram went on tour in Southeast Asia and Japan last summer. It was the first time Nader, who grew up Muslim in Yonkers with Lebanese refugee parents, got the chance to play in Muslim-majority countries. The band, on Toxic State Records, was previously investigated by the NYPD/FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force. We spoke with Nader the night before he left on tour about his hopes and anxieties, and follow up to break down the journey when he returned home.
Photo by Jerry Permana, music by Jesse Crawford.
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