<[link removed]> February 2026 Newsletter President’s Note I am struggling to write about all the mayhem in our world today that can largely be attributed to one man. But of course, the degenerative manner in which ICE has been conducting itself has been top of mind for most Americans, myself included. The level of impunity with which they conduct themselves has now reached such a level that it has angered Americans of all tribes. I use the term “tribe” intentionally because too often we tend to react exclusively to harm toward our own particular group, be it ethnic, racial or religious. (I write extensively about this mentality in my memoir <[link removed]> and the tendency for humans to lack empathy for ‘the other’). When you zoom out, in the early days of ICE’s aggressive and often unlawful enforcement in Los Angeles last year, the assaults were largely in immigrant communities, directed at individuals who were profiled simply by their race and occupation. The protestors then were mostly, and I’m generalizing here, immigrants and brown folks. The Supreme Court made matters worse when it adjudicated that it was somehow lawful to arrest people based on racial and ethnic stereotyping. I honestly thought we had won that war a long time ago… but we’re back to square one! After the cold blooded murder of two white folks in Minneapolis, blocks away from where police murdered George Floyd in 2020 and Philando Castile in 2016, the general population has once again awakened to the injustices of our system that have for so long unrelentingly targeted Black and brown folks. The tide has changed, it is receding, punctuated with the release of a song,“Streets of Minneapolis” by Bruce Springsteen, the iconic WASP rockstar. That being said, what has not been covered in our mainstream media, including many independent news outlets, is how the surveillance technology being used on us in America is the same technology that has been tested and perfected on Palestinians by Israel (funded of course by US tax dollars), and that DHS and ICE training is influenced heavily, if not in its entirity, by the IDF. Our society has so much more waking up to do when it comes to the abuse of these spyware and facial recognition technologies. Wake up! We can only rise up when we show up for each other, regardless of what tribe you belong to. Together we go… Onward and upward… Ani Zonneveld Founder & President, Muslims for Progressive Values MPV Publishing MPV Publishing is proud to announce the release of Between Love and Tradition: Navigating Interfaith Relationships for Muslims and Their Partners <[link removed]> This anthology brings together real-life responses to the most frequently asked questions MPV’s Marriage officiants have received over the years. The insights come directly from interfaith couples that MPV had the privilege of marrying, who were kind enough to offer their wisdom to couples embarking on an interfaith journey. Purchase Your Copy Here! <[link removed]> Join Ani Along Her Spring Book Tour Tuesday, February 3 | Ani’s Book Reading at Manhattan College <[link removed]> 7:00 - 8:00 PM ET Friday, February 6 | Ani’s Virtual Book Reading with The Interfaith Center <[link removed]> 12:00 PM PT / 3:00 PM ET. Monday, February 16 | Ani’s Book Reading at Princeton <[link removed]> 6:30 - 7:30 PM ET Tuesday, February 17 Ani’s Book Reading at Union Theological Seminary <[link removed]> 12:00 - 1:30 PM ET Wednesday, February 18 Ani’s Book Reading at Jewish Theological Seminary <[link removed]> 12:45 - 2:00 PM ET UN Updates March 9 | Join MPV and Faith in Action for a Workshop of the Compendium on Inclusive Sacred Dialogue at 8:30 AM ET. Register Here <[link removed]> Community Care Request AIMAN is a Pakistani-American singer-songwriter born in Queens, NY. Her musical background includes formal training as a brass player in both the classical and jazz spaces, and a lifelong affinity for alternative pop, R&B, South Asian music and more. Earlier this month, she launched a crowdfunding campaign to fund the recording and production of her debut EP, "Vivid Dreams". She is also an active member of the MPV community, involved in previous arts initiatives including the "Muslim Musical Mosaic Project", where she co-wrote a song with Ani Zonneveld and performed it at the Mosaic concert. She was also part of the initial launch team for The Silver Thread Collective, which is MPV's new arts initiative. If you'd like to learn more and support her crowdfunding campaign, click here <[link removed]> , where you'll find a video diving into more detail, as well as an avenue to contribute to the campaign. National Updates Check out our new store <[link removed]> and for national and chapter events, check our calendar here <[link removed]> . MPV DC Needs Your Help! MPV DC is actively searching for a new Chapter lead! If you’re located in the DMV area, passionate about cultivating a Muslim community centered around compassion and justice, and interested in being part of a national movement to promote progressive Islam, reach out to MPV National at [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> ! <[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]>