More than just a Muslim punk band

Since setting up their band, The Kominas have come under fire from all sides: some punks say they aren’t real punks, while conservatives are critical of their politics. But who decides what punk is anyway? Isn’t the very essence of punk to push boundaries and upset the status quo? According to Richard Marcus, despite feeling…

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Muslim punk rockers challenge Muslim, American, and Muslim-American establishments with music

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:…

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Canadian documentary on Islamic punk opens in theaters

Canadian documentary filmmaker Omar Majeed recently released his newest film, Taqwacore: The Birth of Punk Islam. Taking its name from “Taqwa,” the Arabic word for “higher consciousness,” Taqwacore is a nascent music scene that both celebrates Islam while rebelling, in typical punk fashion, against the social and political constraints of the religion. “Drunk imams, punk…

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