The Taqwacores: Muslim Punk
That's right; Muslim punk is spreading across the U.S. About five years ago, a book came out and spread among micro-networks of primarily young Muslims fed up with the Bush Administration's policies, general non-Muslim attitudes, and more conservative Muslim leaders. How do you critique and express frustration? Through punk bands. This book is about punk bands and Islam. The book inspired an entire subculture of young Muslim punk bands. That subculture is now inspiring an independent film based on the book, "The Taqwacores." Here is the article from the NYTimes : December 23, 2008 Young Muslims Build a Subculture on an Underground Book By CHRISTOPHER MAAG CLEVELAND — Five years ago, young Muslims across the United States began reading and passing along a blurry, photocopied novel called “The Taqwacores,” about imaginary punk rock Muslims in Buffalo. “This book helped me create my identity,” said Naina Syed, 14, a high school freshman in Coventry, Conn. A Muslim...