First there was a rock-singer imam, then electro-dabkeh (Levantine folk dance) and Mipsters (Muslim hipsters). Now, it's time to take a look at Islamic (or Muslim) punk.
Invented in 2002 by an American author, the term "Taqwacore" has since been taken up by the media and the music scene as well as Muslim youth. A fusion of the words "hardcore" and "taqwa" (which loosely translates to “piety” in Arabic), the term was used to describe a kind of rejection of traditionalist interpretations of Islam on the part of young people (religious or not) who wanted to live their choices freely. Though the name might have lost some of its initial prestige over the years, this new kind of Islamic music certainly has an appeal.
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