An Islamic punk rock scene is emerging as another dimension of life for Muslims in America.
“In this so-called war of civilizations, we’re giving the finger to both sides,” says the ‘godfather’ of the Muslim punk movement, Michael Muhammad Knight.
“Given punk’s history and values, Muslim punk makes sense,” says the Pakistani-Canadian director of Taqwacore: The Birth of Punk Islam, Omar Majeed.
“Punk tends to gravitate toward marginalized voices,” he says. “So it’s no surprise that there are Afro-punks, Latino punks. It’s about questioning authority. The purpose of it is not to be a jerk, but to talk truth to power.”
