TAQWACORE: The Birth of Muslim Punk Rock

The filmmaker Omar Majeed is in the attendance in Toronto all week for Q&As. The author of the novel, THE TAQWACORES, Michael Muhammad Knight will give a panel discussion on Saturday October 24th, 2009.




In 2003, a white Muslim convert named Michael Muhammed Knight wrote a novel called THE TAQWACORES about a fictional music scene that managed to be both hardcore punk and Muslim at the same time. The book was an underground best-seller, and more importantly, struck a nerve with disenfranchised young Muslims everywhere. Soon after, actual "Taqwacore" bands began to form all over North America. This documentary film joins Michael and bands like The Secret Trial Five and The Kominas on their first tour / pilgrimage across the U.S.A., as they challenge Muslims and non-Muslims alike with audacious anthems like Sharia Law in the U.S.A. and Mohammed was a Punk Rocker. Their spiritual odyssey leads them to Pakistan, and their rocky attempt to bring punk to the streets of Lahore. Produced by EyeSteelFilm (Up the Yangtze, RIP!: A Remix Manifesto). Released By EyeSteelFilm / KinoSmith. 80 minutes.

Screening Times in Toronto:

Royal Cinema 608 College (at Clinton St.), Toronto tel. (416) 534-5252

Monday Oct. 19 - 7pm, 9:15pm
tickets: $10 /$8

TAQWACORE... check out the website for more info.