MPV Newsletter
December 2021

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President's Note

A women’s bodily autonomy and her right to decide over her body is an issue not just in some Muslim societies, but here in
the U.S. In a few months, the Supreme Court will decide if a woman has a right to abortion and if so, at how many weeks into
her pregnancy. A few months ago, as a member of UN Women’s Action Coalition for sexual and reproductive health and rights or
SRHR, we received funding to produce a series of videos for a global campaign to promote a woman’s right to
self-determination as the basis for economic independence. Besides content from the U.S., our partners from Malaysia,
Pakistan, Tunisia, Kenya, and Burundi will highlight issues and solutions that are specific to their communities. The videos
will be uploaded on the AIM World TV YouTube channel ( [link removed] ). Please subscribe for notifications!

In 2005, MPV launched our initiative #ImamsForShe ( [link removed] ) as a parallel event titled
"ImamsForShe: Sharia as a Source of Women's Rights" on March 10, 2015 at the United Nation's Commission on the Status of
Women, New York. Borrowing from UN Women’s #HeForShe, we decided to change it up and worked toward building up a network of
girls and women’s rights affirming religious and community leaders. After five years, with our partner organization Alliance
des Imams du Corridor Nord pour le Développement Humanitaire (AICNDH), an evaluation of the initiative in Burundi, DRC and
Rwanda has just concluded involving 6000 interviewees. And this is the result:

Please email us at [email protected] for the full report.

On November 17-19- 2021, the umbrella human rights organization Alliance of Inclusive Muslims (AIM) ( [link removed] ) met in Mombasa, Kenya for our second general assembly, with the purpose of drawing up a new three-year strategy and
election of board members. The elected officers are:
President - Ms. Ulfat Masibo (Kenya)
Vice President - Mr. Muhamad Ali Aluma (Uganda)
Secretary - Ms. Sherine Elbanhawy (Canada/Egypt)
Deputy Secretary - Ms. Kelsey Hatchitt (USA/Malaysia)
Treasurer/founder - Ms. Ani Zonneveld (USA)
Global Director #ImamsForShe - Imam Khalfanin Elie Bukuru (Burundi)
Global Director Sexual, Reproductive & Health Rights - Mr. Kassoum Coulibaly (Mali)
Global Director of Family Law Reform - Ms. Mwanga Mastullah Ashah (Uganda)
Board Members - Ms. Odette Yilmaz (Germany), Mr. Frej Fenniche (Switzerland)

Board members in attendance (from left to right): Sheikh Kassoum Coulibaly (Mali), Ani Zonneveld (USA/global), Imam Khalfan
(Burundi), Muhamad Ali Aluma (Uganda), and Ulfat Masibo (Kenya).

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NEW! Child/Forced Marriages

If you’ve been browsing our MPV website lately, you may have noticed a new page under our Issues Tab - Child/Forced Marriages
( [link removed] ), dedicated to the advocacy that MPV is, and will be, committed to in
accordance with the Declaration of Universal Human Rights. On the page, you’ll find the full link to our Child and Forced
Marriages In the West panel and a compilation of resources to help MPV community members better understand how Quranic
requirements of marriage fundamentally prohibit a forced or child marriage from taking place.

Nice Things!

This year we asked the MPV community to answer a few select questions to gain insight on MPV’s work and the benefits that
come with being a part of the MPV community and the answers were heartwarming, to say the least. Below you’ll find a
collection of some of our very favorite responses:

Network of Officiants

MPV’s unique Muslim Inter-faith Marriage Services page ( [link removed] ) has some new faces and a
whole new feature that lets our couples easily browse through to learn more about our Network of Officiant’s background and
experience. Interested couples can download the updated Marriage Celebrancy Services packet, designed to celebrate the
manifestation of MPV’s values in interfaith unions and highlight the revolutionary work our officiants continue to do for
couples across the country.

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

Supreme Mufti Reminds That Islam Promotes Women Human Rights ( [link removed] ) | December 1, 2021

( [link removed] ) ( [link removed] ) ( [link removed] ) ( [link removed] ) ( [link removed] )

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