Thoughts on the Values of Non-Violence |
At this point in my life, I’ve had friends of all kinds, Jews and Palestinians included and in interfaith settings we all get along. A Cantor I know puts on a magnificent interfaith musical event that included a choir from an African American church, a beautiful Islamic call to prayer by a man, and occasionally I would join the interfaith choir in this annual celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 's birthday. At the heart of Dr. King’s message was non-violence, but somehow, and sadly, with the heinous attack of Israel by Hamas, and with the slaughter of innocent Palestinians, especially children, as punishment at the hands of Israel, all the non-violence stance rendered moot.
Claiming to stand for the values of non-violence in times of peace is too easy. What counts is when it is difficult and when it is directed at “the other”, at the enemy. I have lost all respect for these fake peace actors, and have gained a whole new level of respect for the true disciples of non-violence - Dr. King, Mandela, Reverend Desmund Tutu and Ghaffar "Badshah" Khan.
If Israelis like Yocheved Lifschitz who was kidnapped and released, and others who still have families kidnapped by Hamas caution against the slaughter of innocent Palestinians, then surely everyone else can swallow their ego, pride and take a backseat. Instead, what we see is a killing field, with American media and its politicians relishing war.
In observing the Palestinians, their perseverance to live is no different than that of the Israelis. Together these two peoples, should they one day live side by side as two nations, they will excel, and they will do so much to contribute to world peace.
Onward and upward…
Ani Zonneveld,
President & Founder
|
|
|
The Global Campaign for Equality in Family Law (GCEFL) |
MPV had the honor of joining our fellow coordinating committee members of the Global Campaign for Equality in Family Law at the United Nations in Geneva to brief the CEDAW Committee on the importance of strategizing to lift reservations to Article 16.
Learn more about the campaign here.
Interested in becoming a member?
|
|
|
A Just Peace in Possible and Urgently Necessary |
In the sixteen year long history of MPV, we have advocated for the human dignity of all people, and that includes that of the Palestinian people, and we will continue to do so. However, we are of the mind that as Muslims, we must be able to hold all human life as sacred, and this requires us to recognize pain on all sides of the equation. Therefore, MPV resolutely condemns the October 7 attack which resulted in the killing, torture, and kidnapping of Israeli civilians. We similarly condemn the subsequent indiscriminate bombing and starvation of Gaza by the state of Israel, the resulting deaths of numerous innocent Palestinians, and we call for an end to the occupation once for all.
|
|
|
MPV's 2023 National Conference |
|
|
MPV Stands in Solidarity with Sikhs |
Muslims for Progressive Values joined a group of 70 organizations to express solidarity with Sikh Americans and partner groups in light of the heightened climate of fear and uncertainty. Since the Canadian government's assertions about the Indian government's role in the killing of a Sikh Canadian, Sikhs around the world, including in the US, have been concerned about their safety and human rights. It is vital to prevent a chilling effect on the practices of protected political expression & faith by Sikh Americans, and to stop bigotry and harmful perceptions. Our organizations collectively reinforce our commitment to human rights values and amplify the demands of Sikh American groups.
|
|
|
Conversations with Ani Zonneveld | Voyage LA Magazine | October 23, 2023 |
|
|
A new chapter has joined Muslims for Progressive Values in the Southern region of the United States! MPV-Houston is the latest chapter of the organization, working to unite Muslims and all communities in the Greater Houston area to practice solidarity and affirm equality.
According to the Census Bureau 2020 U.S. religion study, Houston is home to over 120,000 Muslims. Within this, the City of Houston is known to be a melting pot of various im/migrants from countries around the world. Additionally, Houston is often the first stop for refugees from countries such as Afghanistan as they make their way to and through the United States.
Muslims of all backgrounds have made a home out of Houston, and this demands a safe space for our community, as well as the unique opportunity to show solidarity for other marginalized groups. Interested in joining the Houston chapter? Want to get involved? Follow us on Instagram @mpvhouston to stay in the know as we grow our chapter and our community!
|
|
|
Please join MPV-Boston with Community Church of Boston for the following events in November:
November 7 - Virtual Event - 7PM: "Reflections on the Current War in Gaza" with Dan Cohen and Gaza refugee Amir Qudaih - Register here!
November 9 - Virtual Film Screening & Discussion - 7PM:
"Killing Gaza" documentary - Register here!
November 13 - In Person at CCB & Broadcasted - 7PM: "A Conversation with Max Blumenthal" with Max Blumenthal- Register here!
Read on for updates on MPV Boston's events from last month!
|
|
|
Muslims for Progressive Values Boston was honored to join community partners for the annual Eid Diwali event (pictured above). This event was full of life and interfaith unions of the South Asian diaspora. Muslims, Christians, Catholics, Hindus, Sikhs and other faiths all joined a night of performances, poetry, art and a celebration of achievements of advocacy and inclusion.
Progressive Muslims in the Boston area joined marches in the states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island (pictured below), marching alongside fellow activists to highlight human rights violations in Palestine.
|
|
|
MPV SF Bay is preparing for events coming up in November and December with two major events.
The first is an outing to watch a performance of Omar, the Grammy winning opera about Omar bin Said, a Muslim scholar from West Africa who wrote an autobiography in Arabic documenting his journey into and life as a slave. This will happen in the third week of November and we are working directly with the San Francisco Opera to provide members discounted tickets.
The other upcoming plan is a book event with Katrina Daly Thomson about her new volume Muslims on the Margins, which documents the real experiences and diverse perspectives of nonconformist communities. Professor Thomson engaged with MPV in the course of her research for the book, including members and directors in the SF Bay Chapter. This will happen in the first days of December.
Follow events and updates from MPV SF Bay via the Meetup Group or Facebook Page!
|
|
|
MPV San Francisco and its members have been affected by the recent events in Palestine and Israel and are working their way through it. Members challenged one of their mosques about sermons that veered into bigotry. Members also gathered online to create some space to help the community come together and connect. The issue of Palestine-Israel is critical, emotional, and very difficult. As human beings, everyone needed space to get together in good faith and as family. To talk, vent, listen, maybe argue—but above all to process and commune.
SF Bay Chapter also continued with the tradition of “field trips” attending and participating in events of interest to members. These included a viewing of the movie Mustache, by Pakistani-American director Imran J. Khan on the 9th of October in San Francisco as part of the Mill Valley Film Festival.
Then on the 10th, members joined friends at Hindus for Human Rights at the University of California, Berkeley for a moderated community discussion featuring three eminent journalists from India: Kalpana Sharma, Anuradha Bhasin, and Raghu Karnad. The topic was: A Crisis of Democracy: Indian Media Ahead of the 2024 Elections. Members also attended the 3rd i San Francisco South Asian Film Festival, with particular interest in the opening night on October 20th.
|
|
|
Progressive Islam In Practice |
|
The Women in Islam Series is a public education series that demonstrates the compatibility of Islam & feminism & expands public knowledge on the explicit right that Muslim women have to human rights. Over the series, we'll be publishing 11 pieces of educational content that promote a woman’s right to bodily autonomy from a progressive Islamic perspective. |
|
|
Hey, would you like to see more of MPV in your feed?
Connect with us on our social platforms! |
|
|
|
