Taqwacore: The Birth of Punk Islam

Directed by Omar Majeed

Release Year: 2009
Running time: 80
Country: Canada
Language: English, Punjabi, Arabic, Urdu with English subtitles
$19.95 $14.96 (25% off)
Screening Info
Directed by: Omar Majeed
Cast: Knight, Michael

Taqwacore chronicles the nascent Muslim punk rock movement in America. It was inspired by the work of Michael Knight, who converted to Islam in rebellion against his white-supremacist father. He went on to pen the novel The Taqwacores (a term combining the Muslim concept of God consciousness with hardcore punk), a manifesto for disillusioned Islamic teens. Soon young Muslim musicians were contacting him and a tour idea was hatched. The film follows Knight and a variety of young subversives on tour as they shock and awe spectators in the U.S. before bringing their music to Lahore. They break every taboo along the way, from staging a lesbian thrash act at an Islamic convention to stomping on the American flag. As Knight exclaims, they’re giving the finger to both sides. The film charts their brave, foolish, and often exhilarating attempts to navigate the gap between their cultures and their countries, their religion and their individuality.

Reviews

"As a mashup of piety and politics, hard-core music and anarchy, the Muslim punk movement makes the Sex Pistols look like Fleetwood Mac..." - Carla Power, TIME

 

Awards

Best World Documentary Winner at the 2010 Harlem International Film Festival

#1 Music Documentary of 2009 - Spin Earth

 

Interested in bringing Taqwacore: The Birth of Punk Islam to your school or library? If you'd like to have an in-class viewing, on-campus screening, or purchase the DVD for your library's collection, please contact Estelle Grosso or call (212) 629-6880 with your request.

Taqwacore: The Birth of Punk Islam may also be available with Public Performance Rights (PPR) and Digital Site Licensing (DSL) for colleges and universities. To purchase the DVD with PPR or DSL, please contact Estelle Grosso or call (212) 629-6880. Click here to learn more at Kino Lorber Edu.

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