I have been in interfaith spaces for 23 years and in the U.N. spaces for eight years. Every year on December 9th, an International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime is commemorated, mourned as we remember the crimes against humanity with the Holocaust, the Khmer Rouge, the Kurds in Iraq, Rwanda, Bosnia/Kosovo, Darfur and Sudan. We, you, and especially the Western Democracies have implemented numerous initiatives, forums and conferences and at extravagant events we declare that a genocide will never happen again, not on our watch.
Well, where are you all now?
As a reminder, the definition contained in Article II of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (1948) describes genocide as a crime committed with the intent to destroy a national, ethnic, racial or religious group, in whole or in part.
We have in many weeks heard Israeli politicians spell their intent to exterminate Palestinians from Gaza on video, we have read it in print. It is not only talk, they have implemented it with the belligerent bombing of schools, hospitals, UN facilities, places of worship and apartment buildings as evidenced by the plethora of video footage thanks to the brave Palestinian reporters. The fact that Western media is barred from entering Gaza should inform governments of the nefarious intentions of Israel, shouldn’t it?
If ridding Hamas, a terrorist organization, is the intent then we also know bombing civilians and infrastructures is a failed strategy. To the contrary. There has been plenty of research concluding that eradicating terrorism requires the military, a counter narrative to the violent ideology as well as addressing the root causes. Well, the one counter narrative and solution is a two-state solution. Can we finally end this 75 years of occupation once and for all?
With the exception of Ireland, for too many weeks I have watched the Western "democracies" sit on the sidelines watching innocent Palestinians dismembered, not just in Gaza but in the West Bank as well. What a contrast to your reaction to the annihilation of villages in Ukraine and its citizens. Your racism is palpable. You no longer have any moral standing. And most evident, your championing of human rights principles is a farce. And the biggest hypocrite is my American government.
To commemorate this sad state of our humanity this December 9, MPV will be releasing a series highlighting ongoing genocides throughout the world as a reminder... "Never Again".
Onward and downward…
Ani Zonneveld,
President & Founder
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We are pleased to announce that Atif Osmani is now a Co-Chair of Muslims for Progressive Values Board of Trustees. Atif has served as a Trustee on the Board of Trustees since 2022.
Another exciting updates is that Fatima Qarni is the newest Trustee on MPV's Board of Trustees. Fatima Qarni is a software engineer residing in Seattle, but was born and raised in Chicago. She holds a Bachelor's in Computer Science from University of Illinois at Chicago and a Master's in Computer Science from Northwestern University. Prior to working with MPV, she was on the board of the nonprofit Muslim Women in Technology (MWT), and helped to launch their mentorship program. Fatima has always valued supporting and creating opportunities for women and other under-represented groups within the Muslim community. She finds it important for there to be space held in the Muslim community for people from all backgrounds, which drew her to working with Muslims for Progressive Values and hopes to further their mission.
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For those interested, a Collective Healing Space is available to those who wish to process and grieve the ongoing genocide in Palestine. The space will center Palestinians, Arabs, SWANA diaspora folks and Muslims, to process the genocide happening in Palestine and collectively create art that will be auctioned to benefit a humanitarian organization in Palestine.
The group is LGBTQ+ affirming, open to any state, and will be happening virtually every Wednesday evening EST in December.
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November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, marked the start of the Global 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence. In conjunction with the 16 Days of Activism, MPV will be highlighting 16 numbers that depict the violence that women across the world continue to face on a daily basis.
In the face of this systemic violence and accordance with this year’s campaign - “UNITE! Invest to prevent violence against women and girls” MPV calls on governments across the world to share how they are committed to investing in gender-based violence prevention and what they are doing to end GBV in and outside of their borders.
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Check out our new store for MPV products and our publications and for national and chapter events, check our MPV calendar. |
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Given Israel’s occupation of Palestine, the escalating conflict between Israel and Hamas, the suffering impacted on all, and the impact the conflict has on our global community, we recommend this book “The Wall Between Us - what Jews and Palestinians don’t want to know about each other” co-authored by two men Raja G. Khouri (Palestinian) and Jeffery J. Wilkinson (Jew).
Watch this brief video of the authors as they ask “how do we move from who is right to what is right?”.
"For the sake of peace on earth, please read this book." - Ani Zonneveld
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President Biden to Nominate First Muslim to a Circuit Court | Bloomberg Law | November 15, 2023 |
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In November, members of MPV SF Bay went out for a night at the opera, watching Omar, the Pulitzer Prize-winning work by composers Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels, life and astonishing journey of enslaved West African Islamic Scholar Omar Ibn Said. Director Kevin Mogg promises that “we were better behaved than the Marx Brothers.” Through the month, members were also conscious, engaged, and active in various efforts marking and protesting the war in Palestine.
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December 2: December will start with a book event with Professor Katrina Daly Thompson. It has been the great honor and fortune of MPV to be mentioned in a new book titled "Muslims on the Margins, Creating Queer Religious Community in North America" by Professor Katrina Daly Thomson of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The event is tentatively planned for Manny's in the Mission on 16th Street at 6 PM. Please watch the MPV SF Bay Meetup group and Manny’s calendar for details. We hope to go out to dinner with Katrina and it would be great if as many of us as possible join in.
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December 2: MPV-DC will be hosting a cookie swap at a member’s home in Virginia. Guests will bring homemade cookies to share with each other and enjoy with coffee and tea. People are welcome to RSVP below. |
December 9: MPV-DC will be hosting a brunch at a cafe in Bethesda, MD. People are welcome to RSVP below. |
December 16: MPV-DC members will meet for ice skating and dinner at the Georgetown Waterfront Park. People are welcome to RSVP below. |
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The Women in Islam Series is a public education series that demonstrates the compatibility of Islam and feminism and 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. Check out Part IX on Islam and the Right to Choose: Hijab. |
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November 28 marked the annual Giving Tuesday Day, an international charitable day that encourages individuals to support the nonprofits or NGOs whose work aligns with their values and their passions. Although Giving Tuesday has passed, if you appreciate the work that MPV does, we encourage you to make a donation to support MPV today.
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