December 2020 MPV Newsletter: Almost there!

Almost There!

That’s it folks! It is the last month of 2020; and, with a new American president and vice-president elected, President Trump’s chokehold is gone, and with that we can breathe easier. Personally, I didn’t realize how much I was suffocating, mentally and emotionally. The swing from a black president to a white-supremacist affirming president, and their very different policies, was an emotional roller coaster. Not until Biden and Harris are sworn in will I finally “let go.”

We have so much work to do in 2021, and it will be more exhausting than 2020, but that is only possible with health. So, I am looking forward to receiving the COVID-19 vaccinations so I can get on with it uninhibited.

The finish line for 2020 is in sight! We're almost there, but do continue to stay safe and healthy.

Recently, I was invited for a conversation with BBC's David Eades at the first Women, Faith & Diplomacy global conference to talk about education -- of diplomats, policy makers, the public and children. There is an abundance of evidence for how educational curriculums, both secular and religious, can inform an inclusive worldview and lay the foundations for a population that is less inclined to violence and warfare. I spoke about my experiences as an informal educator speaking to a diplomat about apostasy, and the role the media needs to play as an educator simply by not omitting rights affirming views of Muslims.

So, if you’re interested in my thought process, in my strategic thinking, click on the image below to watch this long form conversation which I promise you is not boring!

Pictured: H.E. Bishop Elias Toumeh (Orthodox Bishop of Purgou-Syria, SYRIA), Ani Zonneveld (Muslims for Progressive Values), and David Eades (BBC).

Don’t forget to join me at our human rights event Celebration of Life this December 10!

Looking forward to seeing the many friends and colleagues in the flesh in 2021, with big hugs coming your way!

Onward and upward…

Ani Zonneveld

National Updates

Celebration of Life

December 10, 3:00 p.m. PST/6:00 p.m. EST: MPV’s annual fundraiser Celebration of Life is around the corner with special guest speakers Keith Ellison, the Attorney General of Minnesota in a conversation with MPV’s president Ani Zonneveld. Together, they will discuss the use of Religious Freedom Restoration Act in justifying discrimination in the name of religion and various other issues such as the pending case against police officers charged with murdering George Floyd, anti-FGM law, and other matters.

With U.N. Special Rapporteur for cultural rights, Karima Bennoune we will discuss the harmful and good cultural practices that affect human rights. A prominent issue right now is one of a Nigerian sentenced to death by the sharia court, which deemed a song he wrote and performed blasphemous. Social media influencer and MPV’s Ambassador Blair Imani will also join us in a conversation about her “Smarter in 60 seconds” Instagram posts that according to American feminist icon Gloria Steinem is “education better than I could have ever said”.

We will also discuss the case of a peace activist Faisal Khan in India, jailed for promoting communal harmony between Muslims and Hindus. (Find out more and please sign this petition to the government of India.)

To lend their support for our work are performers Leila Milki, Amira, Danielle Lopresti, and Sophia Alone, who is also the event producer, and hosted by Ahmed el-Din! Click on the image below for the video and be sure to reserve your spot here!

Click to open Celebration of Life video

On November 24, MPV’s Anti-Racism Committee met for the first time. Composed of board members and organizers, the committee aims to provide perspectives on racism, including, but not limited to: power and privilege; discrimination; racial equity; xenophobia; Islamophobia; anti-Semitism; and the lived experiences of Black people in the USA. The group will meet on a monthly basis with the intention of developing events and initiatives geared towards both MPV leadership and the larger MPV community. The committee is young, but filled with vibrant and myriad personalities and life experiences. Be on the lookout for MPV events in 2021 that are geared towards anti-racist practice and theory!