User:Daynamarie/Michael Muhammad Knight

Michael Muhammad Knight (1977 - ) is an American novelist, writer, and journalist. A white Muslim, Michael Muhammad Knight was raised Roman Catholic and converted to Islam at 16 after reading The Autobiography of Malcom X. As a teen, Michael studied Islam for two months in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Michael is a well-known figure to those familiar with Progressive Islam. He is a frequent contributor to the most popular Muslim American magazine on the internet Muslim WakeUp. Once a member of the Progressive Muslim Union, Michael left the organization in 2005.

The Taqwacores, Michael's third novel infuses Islam and punk rock with a fictitious group of young Muslims living in Buffalo, New York. The Taqwacores was a catalyst in the formation of groups such as the punk band The Kominas and though initially fictitious, Taqwacore is now a recognized subgenre of punk rock.

The Taqwacores influenced author Asra Q. Nomani to organize the Wadud Prayer - a mixed gender prayer in support of Women as imams held March 18, 2004, in New York. 

An excerpt from Michael's forthcoming work about The Nation of Gods and Earths is featured on Rap Artist Lord Jamar's album "The 5% Album". 

Novels

 * Where Mullahs Fear to Tread
 * The Furious Cock (2002)
 * The Taqwacores (2004)
 * Blue-Eyed Devil (forthcoming, 2006)