Report: Rapper Arrested in Dahiyeh Due to ‘Suspicious Beard’

Rapper Hussein Sharafeddine, also known as Double A the Preacherman, the lead vocalist for the Beirut-based Funk Band, The Banana Cognacs, was arrested on Wednesday January 22 at around 11:00 a.m in the neighborhood of Haret Hreik.

A photograph taken by @ahmad_lb on Twitter shows Double A being arrested in the southern suburb of Beirut.

A video posted on Facebook shows his arrest, as Sharafeddine is taken away in handcuffs by two police officers. The circumstances leading up to his arrest are so far unclear, but some news outlets, including Janoubia.com, suggested he was a terrorist because his “beard looked suspicious.” Al-Jadeed TV reported that Sarafeddine “raised suspicions due to his beard and was taken for interrogation while his car was inspected. It did not contain any explosives.”

Friends and fans expressed outrage on social media, decrying the profiling of the rapper based on his appearance.

Sharafeddine was cleared of any wrongdoing and released from police custody on Thursday afternoon.

Moustafa Khaled, the drummer for The Banana Cognacs, told Beirut.com earlier in the day he was in complete shock over news of Sharafeddine’s detention. “Double A is an amazing guy. Incredibly kind-hearted and such a warm, lovable and loving person. I’m certain he had nothing to do with the tragic bombing in Dahiyeh.”

Post Edit: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that Sharafeddine had been released from custody. As of Wednesday evening, his brother confirmed to Beirut.com he was being held overnight for questioning.