<[link removed]> July 2025 Newsletter President’s Note First, let me vent. The headlines the past few weeks have been consumed by the news of Israel and Iran attacking each other, only overshadowed by the President of the United States’ illegal bombing of a sovereign state. But of course, this attack on Iran did not appear from thin air. For weeks now, I have read accounts of prominent American Jewish organizations lobbying for war with Iran, disregarding the fact that the United States was already engaged in diplomatic talks with Iran. But of course, this war conveniently distracted the world from the plight of the Palestinians. Every morning I read another story about Palestinians killed by Israeli forces as they seek food, knowing that as they journey to secure these basic necessities, it might be the last time they see their family. All this is happening while I, and most likely you, slept in the peaceful comfort of our homes. As I write this on June 24, 37 Palestinians have already been killed before 10:45 AM local time in Gaza. The cumulative death toll is now over 56,000. Also ignored by the media outlets, whose responsibility it is to share the truth, is the fact that Palestinian landowners in Area C in the West Bank who hold deeds issued before the creation of the state of Israel are now required to re-register with the Israeli government. In the interim, illegal settlers can claim this property as their own. This is nothing less than legalized theft <[link removed]> . So how do we overcome the cycle of violence and the war mongering? As an American citizen what can one do to support grassroots and localized peace movements in Palestine and Israel? Peace can only come through empathy. Empathy of “the other” is a tall order, an internal jihad, one of the most difficult struggles, especially when we are blanketed with hate. And it is for this reason I’ve decided to do my part towards peace. I’m joining the board of the American Friends of the Parents Circle <[link removed]> to lend my support to Palestinians and Israelis who, despite having lost loved ones at the hands of “the other”, still find the love in their hearts to lock empathetic arms around each other. If my beloved ones were killed by “the other”, I don’t know if I could be this forgiving, but the least I can do is to make space for and lift up those who can. For me, there remains one solace from violence, and that is the arts. On Sunday, June 22th, MPV launched the Silver Thread Collective (pictured left) in Los Angeles, bringing together Muslims from diverse backgrounds who work in the entertainment industry to create new connections and support systems, all the more important in these very challenging times for American Muslims. My niat, or intention, is to cultivate an inclusive space, one where all feel the safety needed to nurture their fully authentic and creative selves. One attendee said, “Very grateful to have been included into this incubator of goodness.” That put a smile on my face. The launch of the Silver Thread Collective was in part inspired by my own experience in the music industry, where I felt forced to compartmentalize my Muslim identity. I write more about the loneliness, sexism and prejudice I faced in the entertainment industry in my upcoming memoir “The Unlikely Social Justice Warrior, <[link removed]> ” which will be published by Lived Places Publishing on July 29, 2025. Ultimately though, MPV’s Silver Thread Collective was created with the intention of using arts to thread together our universal humanity with empathy. Onward and upward… Ani Zonneveld President & Founder of Muslims for Progressive Values Call to Action! Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene introduced H.R. 3492, a bill masquerading as an anti-FGM bill, but which actually shifts the focus away from girls at risk of FGM/C in the United States, and instead targets gender affirming care for transgender children. H.R. 3492 states that gender affirming care is an act of FGM/C, a claim that is nothing but a transphobic weaponization of often life saving medical care. FGM isn’t consensual, has no proven medical benefits, and causes extreme physical and mental harm to victims. Gender affirming care, on the other hand, is consensual and is proven to significantly improve physical and mental health outcomes for those who benefit from this care. Organizations, we ask you to please sign the open letter below and join us to reject H.R. 3492 and protect the law against FGM/C. SIGN HERE <[link removed]> National Updates MPV’s 2024 Annual Impact Report is out now and ready for you! Packed into this year’s Annual Impact Report, you’ll see how, with the help of your support, we brought our three core pillars - Public Education, Advocacy, and the Arts - to life in 2024. We encourage you to read the full report here <[link removed]> to learn more about the impact that we’ve made together over the past year. National Updates Registration for the 5th workshop in our Progressive Islam Curriculum is now live! In the upcoming workshop on July 5, we’ll be covering the second part of Unit 3 of the Progressive Islam Curriculum <[link removed]> , “The Hermeneutics of Progressive Islam”, learning how to read the Qur’an from feminist and human rights affirming perspectives. We hope you’ll join us for an evening of knowledge building and community! REGISTER HERE <[link removed]> Advocacy Updates June 16, 2025: MPV joined 13 faith based organizations in a coalition focused on reproductive and religious freedom. Please read the press release - New Faith Coalition Unites to Defend Abortion Access, Challenge the Distortion of Faith by Politicians <[link removed]> . Amicus Brief: The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the Louisiana Ten Commandments law as unconstitutional. Led by the National Council of Jewish Women and along with many faith based organizations <[link removed]> , MPV contributed to the amicus brief <[link removed]> . MPV in the Media LA Times | California law faces revise as high court allows parents to ‘opt out’ of LGBTQ+ school stories <[link removed]> | June 17, 2025 “If books of LGBTQ+ themes are the excuse for the desire to opt out, then who’s to say books depicting Black, Jewish and Muslim children and their traditions would not be included to be ‘opted out’ at a later date? We are not a theocracy. Discrimination should therefore not be permitted in the name of religion. - Ani Zonneveld, the founder of Muslims for Progressive Values” New York Times | Alex Soros and Huma Abedin Share Their Love Story and Wedding <[link removed]> | June 18, 2025 "Darren Levine, the founding rabbi of the New York City synagogue Tamid, officiated, with Jamal Mahmood, a trustee with Muslims for Progressive Values <[link removed]> and a certified life cycle celebrant, participating in the ceremony, which took place the next day at the groom’s estate in Water Mill, N.Y." MPV Great Lakes July 8: Join MPV Great Lakes (formerly MPV Chicago) for their Virtual Community Meeting on July 8 at 12:00 PM CT. Learn more here <[link removed]> . July 14: Join MPV Great Lakes and the Feminist Consciousness Raising Group - Milwaukee on July 14 at 7:00 PM CT for a virtual book club discussion of Part I of Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H. Learn more and RSVP here <[link removed]> . MPV San Francisco July 24: Join MPV San Francisco Bay Area for a virtual gathering on the evening of Thursday July 24 at 7:30 PM. Feel free to cozy up to the zoom call with some tea or coffee, and join in for a discussion and hang-out. Discussion topic TBA, so stay tuned. Zoom info will be sent to those who RSVP here <[link removed]> . MPV Store Check out our new store <[link removed]> and for national and chapter events, check our calendar here <[link removed]> . <[link removed]> <[link removed]> <[link removed]> <[link removed]> <[link removed]> <mailto:[email protected]> Muslims for Progressive Values 1465 Tamarind Ave., #702 Los Angeles, CA 90028 U.S.A. Powered by Squarespace <[link removed]> Unsubscribe <[link removed]>