Canadian Metalhead Proudly Sponsors Syrian Refugees: “It’s the Most Metal Thing I’ve Ever Done”
I will likely never meet Tyler Berglund, owner of Canada’s The Doors Pub. But if I could, why, I’d like to shake the man’s hand and buy him a beer. He’s not only a good dude, but he’s a good dude who has now made a direct connection between being a good dude and the music we all love.
Berglund, you see, sponsored Syria’s Gol Bahar Muslim Hamo and her family — husband Dalil and young daughters Noursin and Brojista — after they were forced to flee ISIS militants. Which would be commendable regardless, but Berglund is an especially unusual sponsor for Syrian refugees, the CBC reports:
“Most refugee sponsors tend to be older, and part of faith-based institutions. That’s a far cry from this group of atheists in their 30s, who are covered in tattoos and live and breathe extreme metal.”
Yup, Berglund is a metal head, and The Doors Pub specializes in metal (and tacos… mmm, tacos…). Espousing “standing up to oppression” as one of extreme music’s key values, Berglund has even introduced some metal into the lives of the Muslim Hamo family (they reportedly have a soft spot for Dimmu Borgir).
It should go without saying that the most important thing here is that a family safe, with the fact that Berglund is setting such a good example for the rest of us being a fairly distant second. Selfishly, though, it’s what is arguably the least important part of Berglund’s actions that will do the most good for the metal community at large: in his final quote from the article, he draws a direct line between heavy metal and being a decent human being.
“I would describe this in two ways. The first way is it’s the most metal thing I’ve ever done, and then more specifically, to people who aren’t in the metal community, I’d say it’s the most meaningful thing I’ve ever done.”
Well, that should score metal fans some brownie points in a world that too often assumes we’re all violent neanderthals. Bless you, Mr. Berglund, for you are surely doing the Lord’s Lemmy’s work.
You can read the entire profile here.
[via Metal Injection]
