Islam Meets Slam Dance

Punk is synonymous with anarchy. Islam literally means "submission." Michael Muhammad Knight doesn't see any contradiction. In his 2003 novel, The Taqwacores, the American-born Islamic convert imagined a Muslim punk scene complete with Islamic straight-edgers, drunk punks and even a burka-clad riot grrl. Inspired by Knight's book, real-life Muslim punks pogoed his vision into reality. The documentary Taqwacore: The Birth of Islamic Punk follows Knight and his punk coreligionists as they perform at various venues in the United States and on the streets of Pakistan. The Webster Film Series screens Taqwacore at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday (April 10 and 11) at Webster University's Moore Auditorium (470 East Lockwood Avenue; 314-968-7487 or www.webster.edu/filmseries). Director Omar Majeed attends the Saturday showing, and tickets are $5 to $6.
Sat., April 10; Sun., April 11, 2010