Reviewing Taqwacore: The Birth of Punk Islam

I literal just finished watching his movie, and I have to be up front. This is the first movie in a long time that kept my stomach in knots in one of those really special kind of ways. First a short lesson: taqwacore is Islamic punk kids. Also, this is the documentary not the theatrical film.

I first heard of taqwacore from the book published out of Soft Skull Press. I didn't read the book as I was a uber-poor college kid when I found it. But I always kept it in my mind to check out. Then Netflix (yes, I  use Netflix a lot since I have only internet)...Anyway, Netflix suggested the documentary to me a few days ago so I locked it in.

And I have to say that as a former punk, this movie had everything I wanted. It had a group of kids in a bus, driving across country and playing gigs. Along the way they piss people off. And this is where the knots come in. I've never been one for confrontation. I was a more sedate punk in high school. So seeing these radicals rejecting every authority figure around them was intense. I was just dreading the giant fight between them and a few good ol' boys. But despite a few police searches, that never happened.

Now, the beauty of this film is that it doesn't break down the Islamic laws that each punk is rebelling against. But it let's you learn about the individuals and their stances on religion and punk ethics which is wonderful. Because the biggest problem with punk rock and Islam is that they are often lumped into one idea either from people inside or outside the movement. And the movie addressed that right away.

Half way through it felt like it just ended, but it pulled a Stripes on us kinda turned into a second movie where it followed a few of the punks over to Pakistan where they were trying to get a foothold with their style of music in the country. This drove deeper and became more personal. Where the first half was about an idea and a movement, this was a few individuals looking for something. And in the end you don't know if they find it, but it gives you hope.

Now, I cannot say anything about their stance or view on Islam as I barely have a hold of the religion I was raised in, but the intensity and the truth of what they were doing comes through in this film. It gave me hope in a lot of ways about youth, music, and, most of all, that punk is still very much relevant.

I highly suggested checking out if you're into punk or religion or culture in anyway. Me, I can't get enough of that stuff.

Any suggestions on what I should check out next? Let me know in the comments below.

The Kominas featured in the movie.