<[link removed]> March 2025 Newsletter President’s Note A few weeks ago, a long time friend Imam Muhsin Hendricks was assassinated in broad daylight in South Africa. He was a soft spoken man with the sensibility of a Bollywood actor who promoted a theology of love, compassion, and human dignity. He lived authentically, honestly, and transparently as the first openly gay imam, and for that, he was killed. Some Muslims cheered his killing, a disturbing fact noted in a statement from the colleagues of Imam Muhsin at the Center for Contemporary Islam at University of Cape Town, which explicitly called out the dehumanizing language condoning Imam Hendricks’ killing and made the poignant observation that this dehumanizing language is not dissimilar to the language we see used to speak of Palestinians. Meanwhile, here in Los Angeles, I received an email encouraging us to drop our pro-LGBTQ+ stance and stick to supporting Palestinian rights, as if these two issues aren’t interconnected. We cannot pick and choose whose human dignity is more important. According to MPV’s principles, we are all spiritually equal and to neglect the human rights of one individual is to neglect the human rights of all individuals. It is heartening though that this singular email was buried in my inbox amidst the many requests for a workshop on Progressive Islam theology from Muslims and non-Muslims who want to learn about an Islam from the prism of social justice cradled by love and compassion for all. Find out more about the workshop and sign up here! <[link removed]> As we read about the thousands of layoffs by DOGE, thanks to President Trump’s (i.e. Musk) 's agenda to cripple the federal government, I’ve read how Trump voters themselves are getting fired. What I find most appalling is a quote from a woman whose husband, a federal worker, was fired “We support the effort to shrink our government but we didn’t think it would affect our family!” On March 1, MPV is having an in person Board retreat in Los Angeles, followed by the first iftar of Ramadan at my home. As Ramadan is a month of spiritual retreat, we are also of the mind that spirituality requires us to reflect on our values. Are we truly anchored in love and compassion for others? How do we overcome our human tendencies of selfishness? Because we cannot claim to be a people of faith and spirituality if we hold our self interest above that of others. On that note, we wish you a blessed Ramadan, and if you plan on donating your zakat during this month, please consider donating to MPV <[link removed]> this Ramadan. We could use it. Onward and upward…no matter how hard it is! Ani Zonneveld Founder, President Muslims for Progressive Values National Updates We’re excited to invite you to the first Progressive Islam Curriculum Live Workshop with Kendra Cordova <[link removed]> , educator, MPV Board Member, and the brilliant mind behind our Youtube Series, MPV with Kendra <[link removed]> . The first workshop in this online series will take place on Saturday March 1 at 9 PM CT and will cover Unit 1 of the Progressive Islam Curriculum <[link removed]> , "What is Islam?", which seeks to address the ever evolving answers to the question. RSVP Here! <[link removed]> International Updates In February 2024, for the first time in recent history, a collection of women imams, including MPV’s Founder and President Ani Zonneveld, gathered in Brussels to discuss the key challenges facing female imams and Muslim leaders and possible strategies to address these challenges. You can read the full report of the convening here. <[link removed]> National Updates - Call for Blogs! We are excited to announce that we are now accepting community submissions for the MPV Blog! Whether you’re an experienced writer or a passionate individual with a story to tell, we want to hear from you! Featured blogs must be under 800 words and cover the following topics: Progressive Islam theology Human rights advocacy from an Islamic lens Interfaith advocacy work Incorporating social justice into your Islamic practice Please note, when you submit a blog piece, there is no guarantee that it will be published on MPV’s blog. The blog piece will be reviewed by our team and we will share confirmation with you if the piece is published. National Updates Check out our new store <[link removed]> and for national and chapter events, check our calendar here <[link removed]> . MPV in the Media The Hill | Arab, Muslim Americans blast Trump’s ‘grotesque’ Gaza proposal <[link removed]> | February 7, 2025 Religion News Service | Muhsin Hendricks, ‘first openly gay imam,’ helped queer Muslims find their way <[link removed]> | February 18, 2025 UN Updates Join MPV and the other members of PARD on March 11 from 10:00 - 11:30 AM ET for our #CSW69 Side Event, Partnering for Change: Working with faith leaders to uphold women and girls’ rights roundtable. We’ll spend the morning exploring best practices, challenges and opportunities in working with faith actors to advance Gender Equality. Registration <[link removed]> is free but required for entry. MPV Boston - Community Iftar March 15 | MPV-Boston will be hosting our 8th Annual Iftar this year on Saturday, March 25th, 2025 at 6 PM at the Community Church of Boston. This event invites members, community partners, friends and families of liberal and progressive muslims in the greater Boston area. All are welcome but registration <[link removed]> is required to attend. MPV Chicago - Community Iftar March 8th | MPV Chicago is excited to share we will be hosting a virtual iftar on March 8th. Additional details can be found on MPV Chicago’s Facebook page here <[link removed]> . MPV DC - Nightly Qur’an Readings February 28 - March 29 | Nightly Ramadan Quran Reading with MPV DC. For additional details please visit MPV-DC Meetup page <[link removed]> . MPV New York - Upcoming Event The NY chapters of MPV and HfHR are partnering to bring a screening of Ram Ke Naam, a documentary that critically examines the rise of Hindu nationalism and its impact on India’s secular fabric on 3/11. As this is during Ramadan, Iftaar will also be provided. MPV LA - Upcoming Events MPV Los Angeles is excited to share that we will be organizing a number of community events over the course of Ramadan, which we hope you’ll be able to join! Details for each event are below and can also be found on our MPV LA Meet Up Page <[link removed]> . March 1 | Virtual Ramadan Qur’an Chat <[link removed]> | 9:30 AM PT & 12:30 PM ET March 1 | Iftar at Ani’s <[link removed]> | 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM PDT March 8 | Virtual Ramadan Qur’an Chat <[link removed]> | 9:30 AM PT & 12:30 PM ET March 15 | Virtual Ramadan Qur’an Chat <[link removed]> | 9:30 AM PT & 12:30 PM ET March 15 | Iftar at Maisa’s <[link removed]> | 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM PDT March 22 | Virtual Ramadan Qur’an Chat <[link removed]> | 9:30 AM PT & 12:30 PM ET March 22 | Iftar at Adnan’s <[link removed]> | 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM PDT March 30 | Iftar and pre-Eid Party! <[link removed]> | 6:45 PM - 12:00 AM <[link removed]> <[link removed]> <[link removed]> <[link removed]> <[link removed]> <mailto:[email protected]> Muslims for Progressive Values 1626 N. WILCOX AVE, SUITE 702 LOS ANGELES, CA 90028 U.S.A. Powered by Squarespace <[link removed]> Unsubscribe <[link removed]>