It is not often that fictional books result in social transformations. Harvard graduate student, writer, and Muslim convert Michael Muhammad Knight did just that with his controversial 2005 book, The Taqwacores. Set in New York, the book is about a fictional group of Muslims all living together in a house which includes homosexuals, alcoholics, adulterers, a burqa-clad girl with a colourful tongue, and even a character that longs for the traditional practice of Islam in the house. By marrying the Islamic concept of taqwa - the individual's spiritual connection with God - with the hardcore punk scene that reverberated across America in the 1970s, Knight coined the portmanteau term 'Taqwacore.' In modern-day America, the Muslim youth find it hard to reconcile their faith with the progressive and secular demands of American culture. But Knight also felt disillusioned with Islam after finding he wasn't made to feel equal, accepted, or even welcome by fellow mainstream Sunnis who were only too happy to point out his flaws and tell him what he ought to do.
The Taqwacores was thus originally meant to be Knight's swansong to Islam. But he soon discovered there could be no parting of ways he could never walk away from Islam or, to be specific, his understanding and experience of Islam.
Those that feel marginalised by both sides - the secular West and mainstream Muslims - and have had the opportunity to dwell upon Knight's book have found within it an identity they can comfortably assume. As Knight says, 'In the so-called War of Civilizations, were pointing the middle finger in both directions.'
When Knight found out his book had given birth to a punk rock scene which associated with his idea of the Taqwacore, he set out to track down these bands. Subsequently, this journey was made into a film by Muslim writer and director, Omar Majeed, who became interested in the punk Islam scene after reading the book. The independent movie entitled 'Taqwacore The birth of Punk Islam' follows Knight as he travels the length and breadth of America in a decked out chartered school bus to find the Muslim punk rockers facing difficulties and frustration on the music circuit.
The film shows how gigs are cancelled by wary non-Muslim organisers who fear performances by the Muslim punk bands could incite trouble. And though the bands make headway with an audience of Muslim youths at an ISNA convention in Chicago, many of these bands are unceremoniously booted off for fielding female artists on stage.
Knight's personal quest
A more personal quest informs the movie in which Knight looks to exorcise the ghosts from his past, the very same which have shaped his development. Knight explains his conversion to Islam came as a timely reaction to his father, who was a rapist and white supremacist who abused Knight's mother. Inspired by Malcolm X, the 1960s African-American Muslim leader, Knight journeyed to Islamabad as a teenager to learn more about Islam at the Faisal Mosque.
There, his teachers questioned him about why his mother failed to convert to Islam, so by the time Knight returned from Pakistan in his late teens, he was delivering lectures to his Irish mother, homilies on her manner of dressing and the fact that she drank. However, his mother failed to respond to Knights preaching.
Having purged some of these demons, Knight returns to Pakistan during the course of shooting the film, in the company of Boston-based band The Kominas. His trip is punctuated by visits to myriad Sufi shrines, appearances by Pappu Saein, and hash binges. Far from being an outsider, Knight listens to Sufi songs, chats with fellow devotees, and eventually forms a mutual bond with them. These moments made a greater impression on Knight than they did on the band members. Despite being white and American, one can see genuine love and affection for him at the many Sufi shrines and festivals he visits.
While the band members paint the town red, high on bhang lassi, Knight makes the trip back to the Faisal Mosque. Incidentally, the imam there queries Knight again about his mother's conversion, to which Knight pithily responds, 'Perhaps you don't know this, but my mother is the one that drove me all the way to New York City so I could say my Shahada and become a Muslim.'
Punk rockers in Pakistan
Meanwhile, the film shows how The Kominas attempt to break onto the Pakistani music scene, only to be disillusioned through their inability to land a single decent gig. In their eyes, the music in Pakistan seems to be centred on commercial pop. They also find that a punk scene already exists in the country and, much to their surprise, a variety of bands do perform regular gigs in cities across Pakistan. In any case, The Kominas decide to throw a free rooftop concert overlooking the Badshahi Masjid and succeed in drawing listeners from all walks of life. Alhough most members of the audience understand little of the music, which is performed in English, the egalitarian nature of the event fires them up. Indeed, even the impromptu mosh pit (an area at a live performance commonly associated with hardcore punk in which audience members push or hit each other, often aggressively) isn't anathema to the audience, largely because it's probably the first time they've come across one. However, the loudest cheer is reserved for Knight himself who saunters up to mic and abuses former US president George Bush.
Taqwacore in real and reel life
Majeed's film was screened in Toronto, Canada, in mid-October at a Mexican bar. The Kominas and Secret Trial Five - an all-girl queer band - were also set to perform. Knight attended the event, and, in typical punk fashion, wore a pin bearing the image of a man with Allah B emblazoned on it. The pin refers to an individual who died in 1969, but it is also a nod to the motivational figure in New York, Allah B, who runs an organisation, the Nation of the Gods and Earths, which emphasises metaphysical learning. This offshoot of the infamous black American group, the Nation of Islam, challenges many mainstream Islamic concepts. Knight's decision to wear the badge demonstrated both typical punk affiliation for the rebellious and the subversive and his own affection for groups interpreting Islam for themselves.
At the film opening, The Kominas were easily the most enthralling band of the evening as Basim Usmani, a member of the group, donned an dhoti which contrasted wonderfully with his neon pink mohawk. A real crowd-pleaser was The Kominas' colourful number, 'We're Gonna Be Sharia Law to the USA.'
Punk and Islam Religion vs. culture?
Knight says, 'I imagine the Qur'an as a mirror, reflecting the person who reads it. That's both its beauty and challenge.' This idea informs Knight's individualist ideology of interpreting Islam according to the way you imagine or see things yourself.
For Knight, the white Irish Muslim convert, this idea is rooted in a dialogue with Islamic teachings as opposed to the cultural baggage that many members of the Taqwacore movement who have been born into the Islamic faith carry. He acknowledges that for those born into the faith, being Muslim is more about how they view received notions of Islam. Whereas as for Knight, the emphasis on being Taqwacore is about the similarity between punk and Islam, its nature, history, and constant development (no wonder, then, Knight's novel begins with a poem that describes the similarities between Prophet Muhammed and punk rockers).
The interplay between rebellious punk behaviour and the concepts of monotheism and divine revelation grounded in early Islamic history are central to Knight's thinking. This can be contrasted with the punk bands of the Taqwacore movement who support the Palestinian cause through their music, often peppered with anti-Guantanamo lyrics. This politicisation doesn't trouble Knight as acceptance and inclusiveness is a central tenet of his Taqwacore concept.
Mainstream Muslims may consider the Taqwacore movement offensive, and musicians are surprised that no fatwas have been issued yet from the pulpits of Cairo or Qom. Not that a decree could stop the Taqwacores. Ultimately, even though the music is marketed as Islamic punk, the scene isn't exclusive to Muslims as taqwa doesn't imply a dogmatic adherence to Islam.
Currently, the movement comprises a small and marginal scene - indeed, almost all the Taqwacore fans make an appearance in Majeed's movie. Yet, with the identity crisis consuming young Muslims across the world, it would be farcical to dismiss the power of the scene to attract new fans. As Knight puts it, 'All the power to you brother.'
