Enemies,Allies,and the Struggle for Self-definition in “Muslim Punk” Rock

Abstract

Research shows that both entertainment and news media coverage of Islam and Muslims generate anti-Muslim attitudes in the wider U.S. public. In this article, I explore how this media trend shaped Taqwacore punks’ struggle to define what it means to be American, Muslim, and punk rock on their own terms. Upon their first U.S. tour, Taqwacore started getting the attention of both independent and mainstream media outlets. Taqwacores initially welcomed this because it helped them expand their audience to other (potential) Taqwacores as well as to a larger non-Muslim public. Their perspective changed, however, as they started to realize that most mainstream media stories were turning their punk protest into sensationalist stories about Americanized “Muslim punks” who oppose Islamic conventions. It was around this time that Taqwacores began imagining their audience as either with them or against them, enemies or allies. This study shows how this understanding of their audience shaped an internal dispute among Taqwacores about whether or not to identify as “Muslim punk.” Findings reveal that their internal debate over the Muslim punk label is structured by a racist media frame that defines Muslims as either good or bad, with or against the United States.