“ My heart can take on any form: A meadow for gazelles, A cloister for monks, For the idols, sacred ground, Ka'ba for the circling pilgrim, The tables of the Torah, The scrolls of the Quran. My creed is Love; Wherever its caravan turns along the way, That is my belief, My faith. ” – Ibn Arabi
(an Arab Andalusian Muslim scholar, mystic, poet, and philosopher, 1165-1240)
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FOREWORD In 2019 MPV turned 12 years old, making us the oldest and largest progressive Muslim organization in America. All of MPV’s work is geared toward creating a culture of human rights in Muslim communities, rooted in dignity, justice, compassion, and love for all. We do so with regular Op-Eds, interviews, and writings (for all audiences, including high school and university outlets), press releases, advertisements, campaigns and public forums such as “What is Progressive Islam?” and “Ask a Muslim” on subject matters and positions that counter that of the traditional mindset. We utilize the arts to propagate our message, and through the form of music, poetry and spoken words, at our annual human rights event “Celebration of Life”.
“ Within 10 years, I promise you will see the culture of human rights sprouting in the countries we work in, just in time to grasp the values that are foundational to the success of the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals.”
The success of our 12 years of work in the U.S. in changing hearts and minds is documented. According to a Pew survey of U.S. Muslims published in 2017, 52% of American Muslims support LGBT+ rights (up from 27% in 2007), 52% of American Muslims now believe “traditional interpretation of Islam need to be reinterpreted” for the society we live in, and 72% of American Muslims find spiritual inspiration outside the mosque. Furthermore, a New York Times op-ed titled “The Creeping Liberalism in American Islam” by Mustapha Akyol describes MPV as the “counter-culture” which has instilled fear in the traditional Muslim leaderships of the liberalism that have crept into their communities and that they feel will be a permanent shift. In the US, conservative Muslims have teamed up with conservative Christians to advance discrimination under the name of “religious freedom”, citing the 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). As a result, MPV has been at the forefront against this conservative tsunami. Check out the section on our advocacy through legal and legislative means for more details. Duplicating the success of cultivating a culture of human rights in the U.S. internationally, MPV continues to build up the capacities of our partner organizations through our umbrella organization Alliance of Inclusive Muslims to advance the full scope of universal human rights with Islamic language. Within 10 years, I promise you will see the culture of human rights sprouting in the countries we work in, just in time to grasp the values that are foundational to the success of the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Ani Zonneveld Founder, President
Muslim for Progressive Values
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INDEX WHO WE ARE Mission, Vision and What We Do
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WHAT WE BELIEVE 6 Key Positions Guiding Principles 7 THE MPV TEAM Meet the MPV Staff 8 MPV Board of Trustees 9 Advisory Council 12 WHAT WE DID IN 2019 U.S. Advocacy Advocacy Through the Arts 13 Advocacy Through Public Engagement 15 #NoHateInMyFaith 15 MPV Ambassador 16 Press Releases 17 FGM Los Angeles Task Force 18 Advocacy by Legal And Legislative Means 19 MPV Community Building Ramadan and Iftars 20 Advocacy through Interfaith Outreach 21 Pride 22 Activities - Global Tunis Forum 23 PaRD in Copenhagen 24 EU: DEVCO 24 Istanbul Process 25 #ImamsForShe Radio Show “La Femme en Islam” 26 #ClubsForShe 27 #ImamsForShe Educational Workshops 27 MPV at the United Nations 28 CEDAW 28 Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) 29 Human Rights Council (HRC) 30 TESTIMONIALS 32 MEDIA 33 ALLIANCE OF INCLUSIVE MUSLIMS
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FINANCIAL SUMMARY 35 4
WHO WE ARE OUR MISSION
Muslims for Progressive Values (MPV) is a non-profit international human rights organization founded in 2007 in the U.S. As Muslims for Progressive Values, we advocate for human rights, social justice and inclusion in the United States and around the world. Since its inception, MPV has acquired Department of Public Information affiliation with the U.N. in 2013, and consultative status with the U.N. Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in 2018. MPV is a founding member of Alliance of Inclusive Muslims (AIM), a global coalition of progressive Muslim organizations spanning 13 countries and 17 cities.
OUR VISION
Muslims for Progressive Values envisions a world that reflects Islam as a source of dignity, justice, compassion, and love for all.
WHAT WE DO
MPV establishes and nurtures vibrant progressive Muslim communities. We do this by creating opportunities for religious discourse, volunteer and community activities, and cultural events bringing together the arts, spirituality and social activism. MPV is a progressive Muslim voice on contemporary issues. We voice our perspectives with policy briefs, by participating in civil discourse, engaging with the media and government entities, and by partnering with both Muslim and non-Muslim progressive organizations. MPV promotes theologically-sound frameworks for Islamic liberalism. We seek to reinvigorate the Islamic tradition of ijtihad (critical engagement and interpretation of sacred texts) and intellectual discourse. We do this by collaborating with religious scholars and developing position papers on theological issues that are accessible to a wide audience.
BUILDING A PROGRESSIVE MUSLIM COMMUNITY
Too often Muslims in America are asked ‘where are the progressives amongst us? Aren’t there any Muslims who are for women’s reproductive rights, universal human rights, for the separation of Religion and State? Muslims for Progressive Values has been in existence since 2007. Quietly and diligently we have been building our progressive community, one city at a time, and now one country at a time. Since its inception, MPV has expanded to include communities in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington DC, Atlanta, Columbus (OH), New York, Chicago, Boston, and The Netherlands. We also have affiliates and partner groups in Argentina, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Tunisia, Burundi, France, Germany, Malaysia, Norway, South Africa, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, and the United Kingdom. We assert that Islam is inherently progressive, inclusive and egalitarian; an understanding from which our community is built on and that informs the ten principles of MPV.
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WHAT WE BELIEVE 1 Violent Extremism in the Name of Islam
MPV is strongly opposed to acts of terror and violence carried out in the name of Islam. Yet, we believe that radicalization can be prevented when basic human rights, dialogue, tolerance and freedom of expression are promoted within Muslim communities and when youth has access to education that promotes progressive
understandings of Islam. As such, MPV advocates for an inclusive Muslim community, accepting of freedom
of expression and a diversity of philosophical and spiritual traditions, while promoting universal human rights.
Moreover, MPV believes that it is imperative that progressive and innovative educational materials are accessible. 2 Women’s Rights and Gender Equality
MPV is strongly against the oppression of women, particularly in the name of Sharia law. We believe that women should be in complete control of their thoughts, expressions, and sexuality. We condemn all violations of women’s rights carried out in the name of Islam, including female genital mutilation and cutting, forced marriages, acid attacks, and honour killings.
3 LGBTQI Inclusion
MPV believes in an inclusive community and we endorse the human and civil rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender, intersex, and queer (LGBTQI) individuals. We affirm our commitment to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and we support full equality and inclusion of all individuals,
regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, in society and in the Muslim community. We stand firmly against laws in Muslim-majority countries that criminalize homosexuality. 4 Freedom of Expression
MPV advocates for freedom of expression and freedom of dissent. No one should be legally prosecuted,
imprisoned, or detained for declaring or promoting unpopular opinions whether political, artistic, social, or
religious, even when said expression may be offensive or aforementioned dissent may be considered blasphemous. 5 Freedom of and from Religion and Belief
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MPV upholds the Qu’ranic mandate “let there be no compulsion in religion” (Q:2:256), that freedom of conscience is not only essential to all human societies, but integral to the Qu’ranic view of humanity.
GUIDING PRINCIPLE
Please visit our website for the Swahili, Bangladeshi, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch and Arabic translations of our principles. COLLECTIVE IDENTITY While we accept as Muslim anyone who identifies as such, the veracity and integrity of that claim is between the individual and God, and is not a matter for the state nor an issue which other individuals can or should judge. We welcome all Muslim and non-Muslims who share our belief in a world where each person has value and deserves respect. EQUALITY We affirm the equal worth of all human beings, regardless of race, sex, gender, gender identification, ethnicity, nationality, creed, sexual orientation, or ability. We are committed to work toward societies that ensure social, political, educational, and economic opportunities for all. SEPARATION OF RELIGIOUS AND STATE AUTHORITIES We believe that freedom of conscience is not only essential to all human societies but integral to the Qur’anic view of humanity. We believe that secular government is the only way to achieve the Islamic ideal of freedom from compulsion in matters of faith. FREEDOM OF SPEECH We support freedom of expression and freedom of dissent. No one should be prosecuted, imprisoned, detained, or persecuted in any way for declaring or promoting unpopular opinions. UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIGHTS We are committed to social, economic, and environmental justice. We believe that the full self-realization of all people, in a safe and sustainable world, is a prerequisite for freedom, civility, and peace. We support efforts for universal health care, universal public education, the protection of our environment, and the eradication of poverty. GENDER EQUALITY We support women’s agency and self-determination in every aspect of their lives. We believe in women’s full participation in society at every level. We are committed to reproductive justice and empowering women to make healthy decisions regarding their bodies, sexuality, and reproduction. LGBTQI INCLUSION We support full equality and inclusion of all individuals, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, in society and in the Muslim community. We are committed to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. We endorse the human and civil rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI) individuals. CRITICAL ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION We believe that critical thinking is essential to spiritual and social development. We promote interpretations that reflect traditional Qur’anic principles of inclusiveness, mercy, compassion, and fairness. We call for critical engagement with Islamic scripture, traditional jurisprudence in current Muslim discourses. COMPASSION We affirm that justice and compassion should be the guiding principles for all aspects of human conduct. We repudiate the use of violence whether on an individual, organizational, and/or national level. DIVERSITY We embrace pluralism and the diversity of inspirations that motivate people to embrace justice. We affirm that one’s belief system is not the exclusive source of truth. We engage with a diversity of philosophical, spiritual and non-spiritual traditions to pursue a more just, peaceful and sustainable world.
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Meet MPV Staff ANI ZONNEVELD founder and president Ani Zonneveld advocates for women and LGBTQ rights, for freedom of expression, and of conscience. Ani has presided over MPV’s expansion to include chapters and affiliates in 8 cities in the U.S., and spearheaded the founding of, and serves as Treasurer for Alliance of Inclusive Muslims, a human rights umbrella organization that spans five continents. At the United Nations, Ani helped secure MPV’s consultative status with ECOSOC, and is a member of the U.N. inter-agency task force’s Faith Advisory Council. She was commissioned by the U.N. Office on Genocide Prevention and the Ressponsibility to Protect to create a workshop on reforming anti-hate speech curriculum for Muslim societies. She has organized numerous interfaith arts and music festivals; is the co-editor of MPV’s first book, an anthology titled Progressive Muslim Identities – Personal Stories from the U.S. and Canada; executive producer of a video series “LGBTQI Rights in Islam”; has contributed to many forewords and numerous anthologies and Op-eds. She gave her TEDx talk titled, “Islam: As American As Apple Pie,” and is the subject of the awardwinning documentary “al-imam” featuring her activism works which has been screened at numerous Oscar qualifying festivals and at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019. As a Grammy-certified songwriter, Ani utilizes the power of music and the arts in countering radicalism as she speaks-sings her message of social justice and peace from a progressive Muslim woman’s perspective. Most recently, Ani serves on the Board of Directors for Community Partners, Los Angeles.
MARWAN BISHTAWI U.N. Associate Coordinator (New York) Marwan Bishtawi is an Arab-American of Lebanese descent. Marwan joined MPV as U.N. Associate Coordinator in 2016, and supports MPV’s U.N. advocacy in several areas, including the High-Level Political Forum for Sustainable Development (HLPF), the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW ), and the Human Rights Council. Marwan received his B.A. in Liberal Studies from the University of Notre Dame (South Bend, Indiana), where he is currently pursuing his Masters in Theological Studies (M.T.S.).
MPV’s activities are only possible with the support of its many volunteers and community members that fan the U.S.
We cannot thank them enough!
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MPV Board of Trustees MALIHA KHAN MPV Co-Chair & MPV-DC Director Maliha Khan is the Director of MPV-Washington, D.C. and Co-Chair of the MPV Board of Trustees and has been involved with MPV since 2011. She was born in Pakistan and grew up in New York. Her desire to promote progressive values and cultivate an environment of acceptance and mutual respect within the Muslim community as well as between Muslims and non-Muslims led her to join MPV. In college, she established the Pace University chapter of Project Nur – a student-led initiative promoting principles of human and civil rights in the U.S. and around the world. She recently worked on civil rights issues as a law clerk for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). Maliha received her JD and Masters in international affairs at American University. She works at the U.S. Department of Commerce, focusing on international trade law and policy and plans to develop a career in public service.
KEVIN JENNINGS MPV Co-Chair Kevin Jennings taught high school in New England after graduating from Harvard and is best known for his work creating safe schools for LGBT students. In 1988, Jennings helped establish the nation’s first Gay-Straight Alliance for students, and in 1990 he founded GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network, to end anti-LGBT bias in schools. Mr. Jennings led GLSEN to success in making Massachusetts the first state in the nation to outlaw discrimination against public school students on the basis of sexual orientation. The author of One Teacher in Ten and Always My Child: A Parent’s Guide to Understanding Your Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender or Questioning Son or Daughter, Jennings also wrote and produced the historical documentary Out of the Past, which won the 1998 Sundance Film Festival Audience Award for Best Documentary. He currently serves as President of Tenement Museum in Manhattan, New York.
KELLY WENTWORTH MPV Secretary & MPV-Atlanta Director Kelly Wentworth was inspired by her strong belief in an open and inclusive worship space to create the American Islamic Fellowship (AIF) in Atlanta, GA in 2007. In 2011, AIF became a part of Muslims for Progressive Values and Kelly joined its board. In Atlanta, she has helped create a mosque space with continuous activities, educational programs, and a chaplaincy and officiant services. Kelly received a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and a Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Language from Tennessee Technological University. She spent two years in Yemen and worked as an EFL Instructor where she received a diplomacy citation from the U.S. Department of State. She currently works as an Implementation Consultant for Cvent. Kelly actively participates in human rights, women’s rights and LGBT rights efforts everywhere she can. She is a part of various projects that promote music and arts in the community. Kelly is a fellow at the Muslim Institute, which exists to promote and support the growth of thought, knowledge, research, creativity, and open debate.
BARZA DIAZ MPV Treasurer & MPV-New York Director Barza Diaz is one the founding steering committee members of MPV-NY. She was born in Pakistan and raised in New Jersey. As an eldest child of first generation immigrants in the US, Barza was encouraged to continue to appreciate her religious and cultural background. After graduating from Saint Peter’s University with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting, Barza actively sought a progressive Muslim community that would accept people judgment-free and found MPV. Barza previously worked as an auditor for CohnReznick to review financial integrity of her clients’ financials. Today she works as a Senior Accountant at Ralph Lauren.
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MPV Board of Trustees MARILYN WYATT Trustee Marilyn Wyatt is a coach and mentor to nonprofit boards. She has worked with civil society organizations in more than thirty countries and is the author of the widely used Handbook of NGO Governance. Before launching her own practice she was director of international programs in Europe and Asia at BoardSource, a U.S.-based organization that supports nonprofit boards. Marilyn also works as a freelance editor for organizations such as the International Center for Not-For-Profit Law, which focuses on civil society development around the world. Previously Marilyn was a diplomat with the U.S. Department of State, with postings to Warsaw, Prague, and Washington. She also worked as director of communications at the Aspen Institute in Washington, DC, and as communications officer at the U.S. Agency for International Cooperation in Islamabad. She began her career as senior editor for the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Marilyn is the author of many articles and publications on nonprofit governance and other topics. She has a Ph.D. and M.A. in comparative literature from the Johns Hopkins University and a B.A. with a major in English from Cornell University. She has served on the boards of many organizations, including the Vaclav Havel Library Foundation, Czech Fulbright Commission, Off-The-Record lecture series, American School in Warsaw, International School of Prague, and Developments in Literacy (Pakistan)
MICHAEL ALEXANDER Trustee Following a 22-year career in arts management, Michael Alexander became the Director of Grand Performances free public concert series where his skills in curating, producing and marketing were responsible for the growth of that organization into a nationally recognized leader in the free performing arts field. He has a career-long history of involvement in developing programs that bring the performing arts into people’s lives in new and interesting ways; leading statewide and regional advocacy and networking efforts; and supporting the work of outstanding performing artists. He was a member of the California Arts Council from 2004 to 2016 – appointed by three Assembly Speakers and was twice elected Chair of the Council. His other professional involvements include serving as Executive Director of the Aman Folk Ensemble, Company Manager of the San Francisco Ballet, Director of Performing Arts for the City of Los Angeles’ Cultural Affairs Department and the owner of his own artist management company.
ADEEL MANGI Trustee
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Adeel Mangi is a litigator, concentrating his practice in complex commercial disputes. He has particular expertise in false advertising and pharmaceutical industry litigation. In 2017, based upon work pioneered and led by Mr. Mangi, Patterson Belknap was awarded the “Champions of Justice” award by the Muslim Bar Association of New York. Other awards include the “Landmark” litigation award by the New Jersey Muslim Lawyers Association; and the Trailblazer Award by the South Asian Bar Association of New Jersey. Mr. Mangi was also declared Pro Bono Attorney of the Year by the South Asian Bar Association of New York and has been rewarded with a multitude of echolades from numerous industries. Mr. Mangi was at Harvard as a Kennedy Memorial Scholar and joined Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP in 2000 upon his graduation from Harvard Law School with an LL.M. Mr. Mangii also serves on the Board of Directors of the Legal Aid Society, the Muslim Bar Association of New York, and the National LGBT Bar Association, and on the Advisory Board of the Alliance of Families for Justice.
MPV Board of Trustees NAHIL SHARKASI Trustee Nahil Sharkasi is a Libyan-American technologist focused on digital identities and the intersections of technology and empowerment. As a Senior Program Manager at Microsoft, Nahil has developed devices like Kinect and Hololens that seek to bridge the gap between humans and the digital world. As a mentor and facilitator with Young Women Empowered, Nahil runs coding workshops that introduce young Muslim women, and other women of color from across the Puget Sound area to computer science fundamentals and career opportunities in the tech industry. Nahil holds an M.F.A. from the University of Southern California and a B.A. in Journalism from University of Maryland.
SARAH ANSARI HAQUE Trustee Sarah Ansari Haque is an attorney for Morton Salt. Before joining Morton Salt’s Legal Department, she was a white collar associate at Jenner & Block and then moved to the City of Chicago Office of Inspector General as an Assistant Inspector General. Mrs. Haque is a first- generation American Muslim, born in South Bend, Indiana and currently living in Chicago. She holds a B.A. in History from Northwestern University and a J.D. from the University of Notre Dame Law School.
MISBAH TAHIR Trustee Misbah Tahir is a biotechnology finance executive who has spent most of his career advancing important new therapies for patients. He has worked at some of the leading companies in the industry in diseases ranging from cancer to medical dermatology. Mr. Tahir began his career as a management consultant, where he developed growth strategies for clients in the U.S., China, Indonesia, and South Korea. Mr. Tahir is a first-generation American Muslim, born in Boston and raised in New England. He is an avid runner and life-long Red Sox fan, and lives with his wife and family in the San Francisco Bay Area. He holds a B.A. degree in International Relations from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.B.A. from the University of Michigan.
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Advisory Council
REZA ASLAN
KARIMA BENNOUNE
SALEEMAH ABDUL-GHAFUR
(Retired) Former Netherlands Permanent Representative to the United Nations and WTO in Geneva.
The United Nations’ Special Rapporteur on cultural rights and professor of international law at the University of California–Davis School of Law
AMIR HUSSEIN
ZAINAH ANWAR
DAAYIEE ABDULLAH
EL-FAROUK KHAKI
Author & Professor in the Department of Theological Studies at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles
co-founder of MUSAWAH, a global movement for justice and equality in the Muslim family.
Founder and Executive Director of MECCA Institute
Founder of Salaam: Queer Muslim community in Toronto, Canada
New York Times best selling author, scholar of religions and TV producer
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AMBASSADOR RODERICK VAN SCHREVEN
Editor, LIVING ISLAM OUT LOUD: American Muslim Women Speak, the first anthology collecting the voices of American Muslim women.
OUR WORK ADVOCACY: Activities - U.S. As the oldest progressive Muslim organization in the United States, MPV aims to normalize the culture of human rights in Muslim societies in the U.S. and all over the world. Our work continues to resonate as more and more progressive communities are coming on-line and off-line. On September 7, another women-led mosque, Simorgh Mosque, inclusive of everyone was launched in Paris. And again, as an entity that has led this movement, MPV was invited to this inauguration. The following is a selection of MPV’s work to this end:
Advocacy Through the Arts Celebration of Life
MPV held its fourth annual Celebration of Life on February 10, 2019, its signature events, with the use of musical and poetic performances to honor human rights defenders from the Muslim world who have been jailed, tortured, exiled or killed for their advocacy. During this Celebration of Life, MPV honored Sudanese Reformer Mahmoud Muhammad Taha, who advocated and preached for an egalitarian and peaceful interpretation of Islam and, specifically, separation of Religion and State in Sudan, and who was subsequently hung by the government. We highlighted Iranian journalist Masih Alinejad for her campaign #MyStealthyFreedom that sparked demonstrations of women by removing their mandated hijabs in Iran. And we spotlighted the many Saudi women in jail, arrested for their women’s rights activism in Saudi Arabia with a special poem dedicated to the women titled “All That Beauty in Jail” by India Radfar.
We also honored Los Angeles’ television station KCET for their community programming and Tunisian President Essebsi for his women’s rights initiatives. And representing Alliance of Inclusive Muslims was Adviser to the Board, Frej Fenniche.
L to R: MPV Ambassador Blair Imani, Bayadir Mohamed Osman and Nikhol Boosheri
Reading as Mahmoud Muhammad Taha was young spoken artist of Sudanese heritage Bayadir Mohamed Osman. Reading as Masih Alienjad was the young actress from The Bold Type Nikhol Boosheri.
Sholem Community Choir
KCET’s Jennifer Vidas our VP of Marketing and producer Angela Boisvert (KCET)
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Covering the event was the Arabic news report by AlHurra and photos of the event can be viewed on our website. REACH
120 PEOPLE + MILLIONS GLOBALLY ONLINE MPV held its first Celebration of Life in Washington D.C where we were proud to honor Ms. Bochra Bel Haj Hmdia of Tunisia, chairwoman of the COLIBE commission, with the Fatima al-Fihri Visionary Award for her ground-breaking advocacy for equal inheritance between women and men, decriminalization of homosexuality, and abolishment of capital punishment. MPV was privileged to have Tunisian Ambassador Faysal Gouia as an honored guest. REACH
120 PEOPLE + HUNDREDS ONLINE
Film MPV’s chapters in Boston, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Atlanta continue to host frequent movie watches to raise awareness to key issues. Besides regular film screenings, MPV-Atlanta partnered with the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival and their ACCESS/ Young Professionals night, DC partnered with Veterans Against Hate in the annual wreath removal service at the Arlington National Cemetery; MPV-Boston particpated in Boston’s biggest LGBTQA+ film festival known as Wicked Queer Film Festival. In Los Angeles, Ani Zonneveld participated in a panel with French film director Francois Margolin of “Jhadists” who with Lemine Ould Salem traveled deep into the heart of the Salafi movement in Mali, and were granted unparalleled access to fundamentalist clerics of Sunni Islam who proselytize for a "purer" form of Islam. REACH
200 PEOPLE The documentary “al-imam” continues to be screened at Academy qualifying film festivals, three years on since the making of the film. This fall it will be at St. Louis International Film Festival, Lublin Film Festival, and the Beirut International Film Festival. All this after the Cannes Film Festival in May.
REACH
5000 INFLUENCERS
L-R: Ani, Ms. Bel Haj Hmdia, Ambassador Gouia
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Advocacy Through Public Engagement On January 21, MPV-Atlanta participated in the Rustin Lorde Breakfast. The theme for the year was “What Now: Where Will You Be?” as a call-to-action for those working for social change. MPV-Boston participated in Immigrants Day at the Massachusetts State House on March 3. This event was the biggest lobbying day of the year for immigrants, refugees, and allies. MPV-Boston members attended to hear speeches by local leaders and to visit state legislators to advocate for priority bills and funding.
On April 14, MPV-Boston organized an open discussion event, Salaam Shalom, to discuss islamophobia in Jewish communities and anti-semitism in Muslim communities with two conflict resolution facilitators to discuss the ongoing challenging for making our communities inclusive and spread awareness. The Women’s March is an annual event which garners much support from MPV. MPV chapters in L.A., San Francisco, and Boston all joined the 3rd annual Women’s March on January 19, 2019. REACH
200 PEOPLE
#NoHateInMyFaith MPV’s Ambassador Blair Imani relaunched its #NoHateInMyFaith campaign at NYC Pride June 30, which welcomed WorldPride for marking the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising and a half-century of LGBTQIA+ liberation. REACH
45,000+ PEOPLE This campaign took the form of an online pledge to refute and combat discrimination against any individual or community, eradicate divisive and intolerant teaching within communities and religious intsitutions, and affirm the dignity of all individuals. On June 6, MPV-Boston, spoke about the goals of #NoHateInMyFaith campaign during the Interfaith Coalition of Brookline’s annual dinner. In October MPV elevated the campaign with a special fundraiser with The Mad Optimist soap company. Pledge text:
“
I pledge to refute and combat discrimination against any individual or community, including the LGBTQ+ community, women, Jews, Shi’a, Sunni, and Ahmadiyya Muslims, Baha’i, non-Muslims, people of all faiths and of no faiths, or any “other,” no matter who that other is. I pledge to eradicate all divisive, homophobic, and/or misogynistic teachings in my community and in the religious institutions I am affiliated with, and will affirm the dignity of all individuals.
To sign on to the pledge, text 52886!
”
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MPV Ambassador Historian and author Blair Imani joined the team as MPVs official ambassador. On joining the MPV team, Imani had the following to say: “I am looking forward to lifting up and emboldening one of the oldest progressive Muslim organizations to support the LGBTQ+ community. I converted to Islam in 2015 and ever since then I have looked to Muslims for Progressive Values and Ani Zonneveld for guidance. As a bisexual Muslim woman, I am honored to be an Ambassador with Muslims for Progressive Values.” Imani represented MPV at various events. On March 11, 2019, Blair Imani spoke about the ways that MPV inspires people to use the Islamic faith for justice at SXSW on a multifaith panel titled “Tikkun Alam” alongside Rev. Sekou, Author Jeffrey Marsh, and Actor Milana Vayntrub. On March 27, 2019 Blair spoke at the Harvard LGBTQ Conference on a panel titled “Commodified Life: Queer Spiritual Care & Fightback in Late Capitalism”. On June 1, 2019, Blair Imani presented her TEDx Talk “Queer & Muslim: Nothing to Reconcile” to a live audience of 300 people in Boulder, CO.
Also, throughout the month of June, Blair Imani was featured on billboards and subway ads in New York City for the NYC 50th anniversary Pride. On June 28th at the Stonewall Commemoration Rally, Blair Imani joined Stephanie Frosch to talk about Jewish and Muslim queer identities and called the attendees to text UNITY to 52886 for the #NoHateInMyFaith initiative.
REACH
500+ PEOPLE On June 30, Imani spoke at the Reclaim Pride March about LGBTQ history with a shout out to MPV and request to text in UNITY to 52886. REACH
45,000+ PEOPLE On October 8, Imani represented MPV by delivering a statement at the ACLU Supreme Court rally in Washington, D.C. REACH
80 PEOPLE + HUNDREDS ONLINE REACH
32,000 ONLINE Imani was present at a Q&A session following a screening of Accept the Call at New York’s Lincoln Center. And, on June 17, Imani spoke at the Cannes Creative Festival in France on the panel “This Is What Queer Looks Like” Hosted by Rare Global & Google. REACH
300 PEOPLE
MPV Ambassador Blair Imani being interviewed by al-Hurra at Celebration of Life, Los Angeles
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Press Releases Press releases and opinion pieces are issued on a selective basis as that can be an effort that takes up much of MPV’s time. Here are a few highlights:
Christchurch Shooting
Tragedy struck in the heart of New Zealand when, on March 15, 2019, two deadly shootings targeted Mosques in Christchurch. MPV community poured out in support. MPV-Boston and MPV-NY held prayer vigils and discussions. MPV also released a strong statement condemning the attack.
Christchurch massacre is a “ The stark reminder that the hateful
words of people in power have dreadful consequences for the innocent. As we show compassion for our own, let us extend it to all. Let us reject the rhetoric of any leader who pits us against each other, be that leader a president, a politician or a religious authority. God knows who they are and sees what they do.
”
In a strong Opinion piece by Ani Zonneveld titled “The Sultan of Brunei’s Sharia Law Is the Antithesis of Islam”, she lists the baseless religious justification for the Sultan’s proposal for capital punishment. Here is an excerpt:
the U.N. the pushback we get from “Atmost Muslim-majority countries is
that we are just an American tool propagating a Western agenda. Fact is, much of the Muslim world and global South never had any discriminatory laws against homosexuality prior to colonization. It was the Christian colonizers who introduced it to them and, as such, Penal code 377 is an article established across much of the British Commonwealth criminalizing consensual homosexual conduct as a “carnal intercourse against the order of nature.” It is unfortunate that much of the Muslim society, and the Global South, have now embraced this discriminatory belief as their own with such religious fervor. -Ani Zonneveld
”
Ani with Farid Ahmed, a survivor of the Christchurch shooting.
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FGM Los Angeles Task Force
in developing countries. With the intention of bringing more attention to this issue, an anticipated controversial exchange between Ani Zonneveld with Congresswomen Ilhan Omar ensued, which resulted with over 302 million people reading, viewing and hearing about the issue of FGM/C in the United States.
For many years, the issue of FGM/C, female genital mutilation and cutting, have been an issue MPV have addressed and continue to address intersectionally. We do so through our #ImamsForShe programming, through shadow reporting with the U.N.’s Universal Periodic Review, and wherever the opportunity arises to draw attention to this issue. Oct 7th: With allied partner organizations, MPV launched the Los Angeles FGM Task Force, or At the beginning of 2019, FGM/C activists in LAFGMTaskforce. Core partner organizers are: the U.S. had to face the fact that a federal judge Rohida Khan (U.S. Department of Homeland Security) overturned the Female Genital Mutilation Act of Athia Carrim (International Institute of Tolerance) 1996 as unconstitutional, leaving decisions on it up Senait Admassu (African Coalition) to the states. 15 states still do not have laws on the Ginger Lee (Long Beach Mental Health) books against FGM/C. With the media’s disinterest Mame Mbaye (Honorary Consul Senegal) in covering the issue of FGM/C in America, the Dr. Nina Smart (Advocate, Activist, Author) presumption is that FGM/C is just a practice Dr. Ghada (U.S End FGM/C Network)
Mission Statement The FGM Taskforce Greater LA is a multi-disciplinary, community-based coalition that advocates to end harmful traditional practices and to prevent violence against women and girls. Vision The vision is to create a safe and healthy environment for women and girls by focusing on the prevention and eradication of practices of violence that vilify women and deny them human rights. Purpose The purpose is to create a coalition to address practices that violate women and girls. 18
Advocacy by Legal And Legislative Means As the oldest progressive Muslim organization in America, we are often the go-to on many progressive social justice issues. We do what we can to support causes that benefit all Americans as exemplified in the cases filed below.
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Amici Curiae Brief Bostock V. Clayton County, CA (3 July 2019) MPV Board of Trustees member Adeel Abdullah Mangi and his team at the law firm Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP, filed amicus brief in three cases before the U.S. Supreme Court supporting employees arguing that Title VII prohibits discrimination against LGBT individuals in the workplace. The brief was filed on behalf of a coalition of 12 American Muslim organizations.
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Letter of Opposition to State Department’s “Commission on Unalienable Rights” ( July 22 2019) MPV joined 180 human rights, faith-based, civil liberties, professional, academic, and social justice organizations, as well as 250 former senior government officials, foreign policy experts, scholars, and religious leaders, called on Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to disband the State Department’s newly formed “Commission on Unalienable Rights”. Signatories expressed alarm at the extreme views of many of the Commission’s members, and noted that the body’s stated purpose will harm the global effort to protect human rights for all.
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Coalition Against Religious Discrimination (CARD) (16 Sept 2019) MPV and 79 national organizations joined in a letter opposing the Department of Labor proposed rule that would expand the religious exemption in Executive Order 11246. The proposed rule makes drastic changes to the existing religious exemption in Executive Order 11246 that bars federal contractors from discriminating in employment. Under the proposed rule, even for-profit corporations could cite religious reasons to engage in employment discrimination based on race, national origin, or sex, including sexual orientation or gender identity, making it harder to challenge those instances of discrimination.
coalition members appreciate the “ Our important role religiously affiliated
institutions historically have played in addressing many of our nation’s most pressing social needs, as a complement to government-funded programs; indeed, many members of CARD are directly involved in this work. We also recognize that the separation of church and state is the linchpin of religious freedom. In our view, effective government collaboration with faith-based entities does not require government-supported discrimination.
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Letter to Senate Appropriations Committee Supporting Full Access to Title X (November 20, 2019) MPV and 25 faith-based groups cosigned a letter to the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee expressing concern regarding the current administration’s attacks on the Title X family planning program and opposition to the newest “gag rule” restricting access to family planning options and reproductive care. The coalition asked the Appropriations Committee to pass a funding package that would protect Title X and block implementation of the unethical Title X rule while restoring the integrity of the program.
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MPV COMMUNITY BUILDING MPV aims at developing a robust progressive Muslim network at home and abroad. One notable vehicle of this network is MPV’s many chapters, which are present in 8 cities in the U.S. These chapters are active in grassroots work, educational programming, and developing faith communities. The scope of community building includes building up our own progressive and inclusive communities of faith, celebrating ramadan and iftars and organizing monthly progressive Quran readings. The following is a sliver of some of the work our chapters have done this year
Interfaith couples outing:
MPV-LA
Ramadan and Iftars During the holy month of Ramadan, MPV hosted several community events. MPV-Boston celebrated its first chapter anniversary on the first Friday of Ramadan. MPV-LA hosted three iftars, including one a kosher and halal iftar with international Jewish LGBTQ+ organization JQ International. MPV-DC co-hosted its annual iftar with Human Rights Campaign, with keynotes Khizr Khan, Kazi Mannan, and Ani Zonneveld. MPV-Atlanta hosted its annual Ramadan Retreat from May 17-19, 2019. MPV-NY hosted several interfaith panel and iftar, including “In the Footsteps of Prophets: Refugees & the Spiritual Journey,” “Standing Together: An Interfaith Iftar and Discussion,” and “Sadhana Satsangh for Hindu-Muslim Unity.” In addition, MPV-NY co-sponsored an iftar at the LGBT Center with organizations serving the LGBTQ Muslim community. And, at the end of the month, several chapters held prayer events for Eid.
DC iftar
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Advocacy through Interfaith Outreach As an organization that advocates for acceptance and inclusion, MPV is proud of the diverse programming its chapters organize to reach out to members of other faith communities. MPV-NY co-sponsored an interfaith event with Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus. The event was an excellent opportunity for open-minded and inclusive discussion for all participants from different faith groups; They hosted Friday Jum’a prayers, and a member lead presentation and discussion on “Shi’as as the Other” and what that means through the lens of intrafaith community. They also partnered with Congregation Beit Simchat Torah (CBST) to present an interfaith worship, social, and scriptural study program. MPV-DC hosted numerous social outings throughout the year and joined other interfaith groups for a volunteering event with the Holiday Project. This event encompassed an afternoon of ward visits and Christmas caroling at the Washington Hospital Center. MPV-Boston held a monthly prayer meeting and dinner discussing how Muslims use light in faith traditions as does the Hindu tradition of Diwali. They also organized an open discussion event, Salaam Shalom, to discuss islamophobia in Jewish communities and anti-semitism in Muslim communities with two conflict resolution facilitators to discuss the ongoing challenging for making our communities inclusive and spread awareness. MPV-Atlanta took part in an interfaith service with Abundant Luuv UU; co-sponsored an interfaith service for Atlanta Black Pride at RIM Church Atlanta. As partner of the Interfaith Solidarity Network, MPV participated in the 4th annual march, and hosted its original a Very Muslimy Christmas Party. Besides the numerous interfaith speaking engagements, for the tenth straight year, Ani Zonneveld honored Yom Kippur by serving as guest lead singer for the song “Peace, Salam, Shalom ‘’ with the Kol Nidre Community Choir.
MPV-Boston at Salaam Shalom event
MPV-Atlanta’s Kelly Wentworth and LaTrina Jackson
MPV-NY with Congregation Beit Simchat Torah
MPV-DC Kayaking
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Pride On June 30, MPV-NY participated in NYC Pride, which welcomed WorldPride for marking the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising and a half-century of LGBTQIA+ liberation. MPV-NY successfully marched side-by-side with its brothers & sisters in the LGBTQ+ community! REACH
4.5+ MILLION PEOPLE LGBTQ+ Muslim members also participated in interview and film coverage by NowThis. On June 8, MPV-Boston marched at Boston LGBTQA* pride parade for the first time. A large group of LGBTQA* identified Muslims and allies joined the march. This march uplifted the great works of our progressive community. The great response to our #NoHateInMyFaith initiative got local Muslim student organizations to take the pledge toward abolishing hate in their communities. REACH
750,000+ PEOPLE During Pride Month, MPV-Atlanta participated in an interfaith service honoring the 50th anniversary of Stonewall with Imam Trina Jackson as spokesperson. MPV-Atlanta also participated in an interfaith panel as part of a “talk back” for the touring play, “A Southern Fairytale” by Ty Autry. Imam Kelly Wentworth shared her experience of being an LGBTQI person of faith and how faith has enriched her life. MPV-Atlanta marched in the Atlanta Pride Parade and planning events for Atlanta Black Pride over Labor Day weekend and for Atlanta Pride in October.
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REACH
39,000+ VIEWS ONLINE
ACTIVITIES - GLOBAL
Tunis Forum on Gender Equality was organized by the Ministry of Women, Family, Childhood and the Elderly of the Government of Tunisia on 24 – 26 April 2019, Tunis, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme, UN Women and the Swedish government. At the Forum, MPV President Ani Zonneveld moderated a panel titled: “Breaking into politics 2: Local communities supporting women candidates; alternative means of support.” The panel discussion demonstrated a heightened awareness among discussants of the utility of religious language in affirming gender equality. The forum produced useful recommendations which are listed on the Tunis Forum website. Also present at the Tunis Forum was MPV’s partner organization AICNDH-Burundi’s Executive Director Imam Khalfan, talking about our program #ImamsForShe.
Imam Khalfan speaking about #ImamsForShe
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PaRD in Copenhagen MPV is a member of the Partnership on Religion and Sustainable Development (PaRD). It brings together governmental and intergovernmental entities with diverse Civil Society Organisations (CSOs)/ Faith-based Organisations (FBOs), to engage the social capital and capacities vested in diverse faith communities for sustainable development and humanitarian assistance in the spirit of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. At the “Fireside Chat: One decade to go until 2030” MPV ‘s President Ani Zonneveld shared her personal and professional experiences at this well attended open forum. Her presentation was entitled “#ImamsForShe - Changing Culture and Law,” and she laid out how MPV changes hearts and minds, one person at a time, toward a permanent cultural shift of inclusivity and universal values that is foundational for any prospect of peace, security, and development. Also on the panel were: Rev. Victor H. Kazanjian, Jr. (URI), Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati (GIWA), Rabbi Awraham Soetendorp ( Jacob Soetendorp Institute) and moderated by Prof. Mohammed AbuNimer (KAICIID).
EU: DEVCO On November 15, Ani Zonneveld gave a private round-table internal discussion of DEVCO’s facilitated learning space “Agora” which literally means “gathering place”. The aim of the DEVCO-facilitated Agora is to provide a safe space for learning and discussion for colleagues dealing with wider topics relating to societal development where religion and culture play a role in development. The title of Ani’s presentation was “Addressing Islam from a Human Rights Lens”. Ani covered topics such as women and LGBTQ+ rights, child and forced marriage, FGM/C, equal inheritance, family planning, reproductive rights, abortion, marital rape, marriage and divorce, hijab and niqab, gender segregation and the overall issues of gender-based violence, and the counter-narrative to all these issues.
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ISTANBUL PROCESS
7th Istanbul Process participants
In The Hague, November 18-19, MPV President Ani Zonneveld was invited to attend and chair a session at the 7th meeting of the Istanbul Process Combating religious intolerance: Building inclusive and resilient societies, and pushing back against incitement to hatred and violence. The subthemes: • Pro-active approach: building tolerant, inclusive and resilient societies; and • Incitement to religious hatred and violence: pushing back. The break-out session entitled “Preventing negative stereotyping and discrimination in areas such as health, housing, education and employment, including through training of government officials, promoting dialogue with and within communities, awareness-building and media education (paragraphs 5c, 5d, 5g of the 16/18 Action Plan), consisted of discussants • Dr. Ahmed Shaheed, UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief Representative of the U German/EU anti-Semitism commissioners • Dr. Mohammed Belekbir, Director of the Center for Studies wand Research in Values, at the Rabita Mohammedia des Oulémas (Mohammadia League of Scholars), Morocco • Ms. H.E. Rita French, International Ambassador for Human Rights, United Kingdom • Ms. Myriam Sahraoui, Entrepreneur in Media and Culture, the Netherlands • Ani Zonneveld, Muslims for Progressive Values, Chair-rapporteur This was a well-casted role for MPV as it is founded on inclusive and non-discriminatory, critical thinking and human rights. We discussed solutions from various participants made up of local-level actors, religious leaders, and government representatives. One of the outcomes is a website developed by Article 19 and the Universal Rights Group, and a summary report will be published in the first half of 2020. The website will function as a depository of documents related to the process, as well as a compilation of good practices relevant to the implementation of the plan of action described in HRC resolution 16/18. MPV and its umbrella organization Alliance of Inclusive Muslims will be most inclined to contribute to this depository.
L to R: Mr. Paul Peters, Ani, Ms. French, Mr. Shahed, Ms. Sahraoui, Mr. Belekbir
Speakers and presenters at the 7th Istanbul Process
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#ImamsForShe In 2019, MPV rolled out Phase IV of its landmark program, #ImamsForShe. With Phase IV, #ImamsForShe tackled its most ambitious project since inception — expansion into Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, while continuing its ongoing programming in Burundi. As a result, #ImamsForShe now consists of 240 community and religious leaders in 6 regions of Burundi and 1 region of the DRC. In addition, The Grand Mufti of Burundi has officially recognized AICNDH as a national and international representative of the Burundi Muslim community on any activities concerning women’s rights. On the global stage and as a member of the UN Faith Advisory Council, MPV put the spotlight on our #ImamsForShe programming in Burundi, Rwanda, and the DRC. UN Women has now recognized the work of #ImamsForShe in Burundi and has chosen AICNDH as their sole partner in 2020 to work on rights for Muslim women and girls in Burundi through the #ClubsForShe initiative. The World Bank has also used #ImamsForShe as an example of a successful program utilizing best practices for women’s empowerment in Burundi.
AICNDH-Burundi team
MPV carried out Phase IV in partnership with the Alliance of Imams for the Development of Humanity (AICNDH), an association of 39 Burundian imams and women representatives. Here is a summary of what this partnership produced:
Radio Show “La Femme en Islam” “La Femme en Islam” has been a major part of #ImamsForShe since 2017 (Phase II) — it is a weekly radio show featuring an Imam host who uses the Qur’an to affirm women’s writes and debunk misogynistic practices. The goals of this program is to increase national dialogue on women’s rights and gender justice, incite public denouncement of all forms of injustice against women, and heighten awareness among women and girls of their own rights. The show aired weekly on two different radio stations, producing 104 shows. In addition, the show featured 96 woman and girl advocates for women’s rights REACH
9.6 MILLION!
L to R: Amina, Ani and Imam Khalfan, Radio station at COMIBU
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Inoculation “The Against Extremism ”
#ClubsForShe #ClubsForShe is a highly participatory summer camp in which we give young women and girls a safe space where they can play (something they are sometimes forbidden to do), learn about their rights, and learn practical skills to put those rights into action. In Phase IV, we revamped this two-year old program with two three-night camps — one in Burundi and one in Rwanda — which educated 62 young Muslim women. Participants received capacity building on the social, political, and economic rights of Muslim girls/ women, entrepreneurship and sexual and reproductive health, including the importance of marital choice and family planning and that cultural practices such as forced marriages and FGM/C are harmful and not Islamic. The participating girls joined the network of #ClubsForShe alumnae whose mission was to perpetuate and divulge the activities of the #ImamsForShe campaign in their respective countries.
AICNDH team, Mufti of Burundi, Ani, #ClubsForShe attendees
#ImamsForShe Educational Workshops Our educational workshops train local imams, Muslim community leaders, Islamic scholars and women group representatives in the role of faith and community leaders in developing community values about women’s education, economic empowerment, and sexual health and reproductive rights. Our two, three-day workshops took place in Burundi and the DRC and trained 50 individuals. MPV and our partner organizations AICNDH-Burundi, AICNDH-Rwanda and AICNDH-DRC owe Wallace Global Fund gratitude for understanding our vision at its inception and standing by us for all four years. By doing so, we have been able to build up the capacity of our local partner organizations and the credibility of our #ImamsForShe programing propelling it to great heights, and yes, rooted in a culture of human rights.
Thank you
Wallace Global Fund! Talking to mothers about the harmful practices of child/forced marriages
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MPV AT THE UNITED NATIONS
Since securing our ECOSOC status, MPV has been engaged with the United Nations both at the Human Rights Council in Geneva and its subsidiary bodies and in New York to ensure that a progressive and inclusive Muslim voice is represented at this crucial international fora. Not only have we secured a seat at the table but have made it a point to highlight the works of other progressive voices and to bring them to the table whenever possible. In 2019 MPV remained active at the U.N. through: 1) CEDAW shadow report on Tunisia; 2) Engaging with UN Women at the Commision on the Status of Women (CSW ); 3) Engagement at the Human Rights Council; 4) Events and Collaborations with Member States and Special Rapporteurs;
CEDAW MPV from time to time collaborates with other NGOs to submit joint reports to various UN bodies. In 2019 we partnered with the International Human Rights Center Loyola Law School, Los Angeles and the Association Tunisienne Des Femmes Democrates in producing the NGO Parallel Report on the Republic of Tunisia’s Seventh Report on the Implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
Discriminatory laws will only be “eliminated when the culture of the
people reflects the desire for just laws. And that is why MPV works toward instilling a culture of human rights in Muslim societies. -Ani Zonneveld
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To read more about our work please visit our website, and to watch the panels, please visit our YouTube channel.
United Nations inter-agency Faith Advisory Council 2019
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Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) At this year’s Commission on the Status of Women, MPV was an official partner of UN Women’s new initiative Equality in Law for Women and Girls by 2030. The initiative was launched on March 20 by UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka at CSW in New York, laying out a clear strategy in how to accomplish this equality. Ani Zonneveld was invited to speak at this high-level launch event bringing together government representatives, civil society organizations and UN partners. On March 22, 2019: Ani Zonneveld spoke at a panel entitled “Preventing Gender-Based Violence: the Role of Religious Actors.” At this panel, Ani shared the negative effects of hate speech by religious leaders, challenging member states and U.N. offices that still fail to decipher genuine human rights affirming religious leaders from those who aren’t, enabling them to undermine the U.N. institution from within. She also outlined the workshop she designed for Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect (OSAPG) in empowering stakeholders toward reforming educational curriculum in Muslim societies. The event was organized by OSAPG, and cosponsored by UN WOMEN, UNFPA, UNAIDS and ACT Alliance. In Utah, at the 68th United Nations Civil Society Conference, MPV co-sponsored a panel titled “Progressive Voices of Faith – An Interfaith & Intergenerational Dialogue” along with Leslie Brier (UN Rep, Women of Reform Judaism & WUPJ), Martha Gallahue (UN Rep, United Religious Initiative), Ani Zonneveld (President, Muslims for Progressive Values / Founding Member, Alliance for Inclusive Muslims), and Andrew Keene of World Union for Progressive Judaism as moderator.
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HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL (HRC)
L to R: Prof. Manea, Amb. Van Daalen, Secretary-General Ms. Brandt, Ani, EU Amb. Gilmore, SP Mr. Shaheed, Imam Ramkaj.
On June 24 the Kingdom of The Netherlands Mission in Geneva and MPV continued in its annual tradition of co-organizing a side-event, which was a Freedom of Religion or Belief event at the Human Rights Council in Geneva. This year’s high-level side event was titled: “Promoting a Universal (or Normative) Understanding of Freedom of Religion and Belief: Maximizing Synergies and Increasing Religious Literacy at the UN.” The event featured the Secretary General and Vice Minister of the Foreign Ministry of the Netherlands Ms. Yoka Brandt giving the keynote speech, where she announced the hosting of the Istanbul Process at The Hague. Other panelists were: Professor Elham Manea (University of Zurich), Ahmed Shaheed (Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Religion and Belief ), Eamon Gilmore (EU Special Representative for Human Rights), and Dr. Imam Arben Ramkaj, Chairman of Interreligious Collaboration Center. Chairing the panel was Ani Zonneveld. *We invite you to read the transcript of Secretary General and Vice Minister of the Foreign Ministry of the Netherlands Ms. Yoka Brandt on our website.
matters! But faith should be grounded “Faith in dignity and universal human rights, for without them, it can lead to tyranny in the name of God.
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- PD Dr. Elham Manea 30
Sponsored by the Permanent Mission of South Africa and Iceland to the UN in Geneva, on September 20, at the 42nd Human Rights Council in Geneva, MPV co-organized with the Gender Identity Network a sideevent titled “Pre-colonial Societies on Gender and Sexuality: A Hindu, Muslim and Indigenous Peoples’ Perspective.” The event featured panelists Ludovic Mohammed Zahed (Algeria-France, Islam), Manisha Dhakal (Nepal, Hindu), Dr. Yvette Abrahams (South Africa, traditional African religion), opening remarks from South African Ambassador H.E. Mxakato-Diseko, and chairing the panel was Ani Zonneveld.
MPV President Ani Zonneveld performed her song “Let me Try” on November 13 at the Permanent Mission of the Netherlands’ event “4 Corners of Expression - 4 award winning ways to express human rights and humanitarian issues.” The event also featured performances by vlogger Abdul Aziz Muhamat (Sudan) addressing the issue of mental health; dancers Dakota and Nadia, and Dutch cartoonist Tjeerd Royaards, chief of the Cartoon Movement who helped organize the cartoon competition “Cartooning for Human Rights,” an initiative with OHCHR.
Background: On May 16th 2019, then UK Prime Minister Theresa May made history by issuing a poignant statement acknowledging Britain’s role in codifying discriminatory, antigay legislation across its former colonies. “As the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister I deeply regret both the fact that such laws were introduced and the legacy of discrimination, violence and even death that persists today.” Other former colonial powers introduced similar legislation to the nations they colonized, enmeshing discriminatory laws, policies, and social practices in the fabric of those societies. National and international human rights fora must take into account these shared histories—especially the harmful legacies of colonization—if these systems are to be inclusive, just, and equitable.
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TESTIMONIALS
“I have no eloquent words to describe how thankful I am for your organization. I am an American Muslim convert and was previously married to a Libyan. I lived 20 years in Libya therefore I learned a lot about Islam through the Libyan culture, though I often thought that a lot that is claimed to be part of Islam is not religion, but the culture. I know my beliefs of what Islam asks of us, but unfortunately as my children were raised in Libya I fear losing my children if I stand up to what I believe. As a divorced woman I have nothing in this world but my children, I cannot risk losing them. I applaud your efforts and wish the organization success.”
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“I accept all...best group 4 all Muslims & also 4 all religion peoples..the group is not only to discuss religion but also has a great care 4 humanity‚equality‚justice & spreading peace with love...proud to be a part of MPV.”
“My name is Artemis xxx, I’m a high school student from Wyoming and an enthusiastic learner of world religions. I wanted to ask for help and guidance from this organization because I could not find any mosques, community centers, or other organizations that were a) Islamic, b) LGBTQI+ supportive and affirming, and c) who would be willing to talk to me. I’ve been trying to get a better understanding of Islam and how there are many more aspects then I originally thought on Islam and muslim-faith communities/culture. I wanted to know if someone could please talk to me and answer my questions.”
MEDIA MPV was cited in over 50 news articles OVER 302 million reached in print, and this excludes visual news reporting. For a comprehensive list of media coverage please visit our website, but here are a few highlighted articles: The Atlantic: Ilhan Omar’s Opportunity, August 26, 2019 “It was a brilliant political move; it’s difficult to imagine anyone asking her about FGM anytime soon without being mindful of that moment. Excerpts from the exchange were widely posted by news outlets, including The Guardian and CNN; several progressive publications sided with the congresswoman. “Ilhan Omar Is Done Responding to Bigoted Assumptions About Her Beliefs,” read a headline in The Cut. The holder of this particular “bigoted assumption,” however, was not a closed-minded evangelical looking to demonize a culture she didn’t understand. She was Ani Osman-Zonneveld, the founder of Muslims for Progressive Values, looking for allyship from the two most powerful Muslim American women in government. REACH
22 MILLION Reuters: Politics v pilgrimage: some Muslims call for Saudi haj boycott, August 8, 2019 “Muslims should boycott haj, because to do so only feeds the regime,” said Ani Zonneveld, president of Muslims for Progressive Values, a U.S.-based nonprofit organisation.”(They) will only contribute to the devastation and starvation of the Yemeni people, empower the very regime that has imprisoned many women and human rights advocates.” REACH
55 MILLION Tunisia - Kapitalis.com | Le Prix Visionnaire Fatima Al-Fihria 2019 décerné à Bochra Bel Haj Hmida à Washington | December 3, 2019 The Netherlands - Saltmines | Interview met vrouwelijke imam Ani Zonneveld | December 19, 2019 Opinion: WeHoVille.com: The Sultan of Brunei’s Sharia Law Is the Antithesis of Islam, April 1, 2019
“Many statements have been made about how draconian this new law is, and how it contravenes the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights (UNDHR), of which Brunei is a signator. Their signing to the UNDHR is largely a farce, with reservations made “on the condition that it doesn’t contradict sharia law” which is the rule of thumb for most these Muslim-majority countries, especially those led by tyrants. Their definition of sharia law is God’s law, of which they are implementers. And what they and their religious cronies have continued to do is to talk of UNDHR as a “Western agenda to undermine Islam”. As a human rights organization, Muslims for Progressive Values (MPV) often stands alone against the Muslim tyrants who have destroyed millions of life in the name of religion. In America, the secular left is too uncomfortable with us liberal Muslims being self-critical, lest they be accused of being “Islamophobe,” while the political right hates us as our liberal narrative undermines the very basis from which they have built their prejudices on.”
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Alliance of Inclusive Muslims
www.aim.ngo
The Alliance of Inclusive Muslims (AIM) is an international human rights umbrella organization that was founded in October 2017 in Tunisia to amplify the voices of progressive Muslim organizations throughout the world. Currently, AIM has 28 member organizations and spans five continents. AIM is founded on three principles: • Human Rights and Dignity for All: Advocating for the recognition of each individual’s equal worth in society and equal protection under the law. • Freedom of Expression: Advocating for freedom of expression, thought, and conscience, and freedom of dissent. No one should be prosecuted, imprisoned, or detained for political, journalistic, artistic, social, or religious expression. • Freedom of and from Religion and Belief: Advocating to uphold the Qur’anic mandate “let there be no compulsion in religion” (Q2:256), and that freedom of conscience is not only essential to all human societies but integral to the Qur’anic worldview of humanity. On August 10, AIM held a General Assembly meeting and elected a new board. The new board is as follows: Ms. Ulfat Hussein Masibo (Kenya, President), Imam Khalfan (Burundi, Vice President), Ms. Sherine Albanhawy (Egypt-Canada, Secretary), Ms. Ani Zonneveld (USA, Treasurer), and Mr. Frej Fennich (Tunisia-Swiss, Advisor to the Board). AIM continues to advocate for human rights for all, particularly on the issue of freedom of expression, of freedom of religion and belief, and against apostasy and blasphemy laws. M’Khaiter Mauritanian Blogger Mohamed Cheikh Ould M’khaiter was released from prison on July 30, 2019. M’khaiter was held since January 2014 under the charge of apostasy for an article he wrote against slavery (which was abolished in 1981 in Mauritania). M’khaiter was sentenced to death in December 2014. MPV took a lead role in raising the profile of M’khaiter’s case through its events, contacts at the UN, and the umbrella organization Alliance of Inclusive Muslims, which wrote a letter to the Mauritanian president asking him to pardon M’khaiter. UNHCR committee member Yadh Ben Achour reiterated this case in July 2019, and M’khaiter was released a few weeks later. Upon learning of M’khaiter’s release, Ani Zonneveld said “I am personally gratified by this good news. Over the years, I have stayed focused on raising M’khaiter’s death sentence as unjust, and an un-Islamic punishment for blasphemy and apostasy. The Quran is clear in verse 2:256: ‘there is no compulsion in religion.’ We Muslims need to live up to the ideals of the Quran.”
Sherine ElBanhawy, Secretary
Ani Zonneveld, Treasurer
Ulfat Hussein Masibo, President
Frej Fenniche, Adviser to the Board Imam Khalfan, Vice President
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MPV FINANCIAL SUMMARY MPV thanks its many donors not necessarily for the size of the donation but for their reliability especially Jamal Mahmood, Christopher Stephan, Marz Attar, Altaf Tadkod, Marlon Mauriello, La Trina Jackson, Khurram Nizami, Jehan Agrama, our Board of Trustees Kevin Jennings, Maliha Khan, Kelly Wentworth, Barza Diaz, Misbah Tahir, Nahil Sharkasi, Michael Alexander, Sarah Ansari-Haque, Adeel A. Mangi, and Sana Haroon. . Thank you to our funders who have been equally committed and supportive of our work: Wallace Global Fund, Open Society Foundation, Human Rights Campaign, E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, The A&A Fund, the Mad Optimist Soap Company, Harmony Gold Theater, and the government of The Netherlands.
0.92% REVENUE AND SUPPORT:
Percentage:
3.39% 3.06%
Revenue in %:
Foundation Grants 75.27% $177,625.00 Direct Contributions 17.37% $40,982.00
17.37%
Government Grants 3.06% $7,211.00 Special Events 3.39% $8,005.00 Other Income 0.92% $2,165.00 100.00%
$235,988.00
75.27%
8.89% OPERATING EXPENSES
Expenses in %
USD
Global Advocacy & Programming
78.80%
$205,232.00
Management and General
12.31%
$32,052.00
Fundraising 8.89% $23,164.00 100.00%
$260,448.00
BALANCE FROM 2016
$136,853.00
12.31% 78.80%
NET BALANCE $112,392.00
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