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This August marks the 15th anniversary of Muslims for Progressive Values, which I founded on August 29, 2007 in hopes of bringing Progressive Islam to the forefront of the American Muslim culture.
All of MPV’s larger advocacy efforts are special but perhaps the most rewarding stories are those that come from the individuals whose lives have been so personally touched by MPV's work. One such story comes to mind that I’d like to share with you as a reminder to all of us why the work MPV does is so important.
We received a donation from a young person who had recently come out to their father as queer. When asked why they chose to donate to MPV rather than a larger organization, they shared that when they had come out to their father, he had immediately gone to the mosque to consult with his Imam on his child’s sexual identity. The Imam shared with the father that actually Islam accepts all sorts of diversity, including sexual diversity. After I asked who the Imam was (because it’s so rare to see a queer-affirming Imam in traditional mosques) I learned it was the very Imam I had sat down for coffee with a few years before to berate him for his compliance with the violent homophobia running rampant across the American Muslim community.
To know this one conversation had such a deep impact on an individual's life was incredibly meaningful and speaks to the larger impact that MPV has had over the past 15 years. We know this story, and all the other untold stories about the impact that MPV has had on lives, would not be possible without your help. To help us keep up this life changing work for the next 15 years, we’re asking for $15 dollar donations to celebrate 15 years. To donate, click here.
If you can afford to, please do add a few zeros to your donation! Many thanks for your support and for helping us make the lives of others better and purposeful. Onward and upward… Ani Zonneveld
Founder, President
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Progressive Islam continues to grow!
Please join the in-person and virtual inaugural conference of Oxford Institute for British Islam. Besides doing the call to prayer and singing a few songs as part of an evening of entertainment, MPV’s Ani Zonneveld will also be speaking on two panels:
Panel V ,entitled "The Real Life Application of Islamic Human Rights Language in Giving People Hope and a Purposeful Life", focuses on British Islam and patriarchy, misogyny, and sexism.
Panel VIII, entitled "Building a Global Movement, One Heart at a Time", deals with British Islam and the global Muslim ummah.
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We are pleased to invite you to attend Muslims for Progressive Values' upcoming workshop "Addressing Apostasy and Blasphemy Laws in Muslim Societies", on September 14, 2022 from 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM EST at Rayburn HOB Room 2060 on Capitol Hill in Washington DC. The event is open to the public, and we welcome all those interested in advancing freedom of religion and belief. For those who cannot join us in person, you can join us virtually via Zoom. For the concept note, program outline and list of speakers, please visit the event page here. |
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The first session will lay the baseline of understanding of the social, historical, and religious contexts of the origins of apostasy and blasphemy laws in Muslim countries.
The second session will introduce strategies on how to counter social media attack campaigns effectively and how to create an ecosystem conducive to inculcating a culture rooted in human rights in partnership with faith, women, and youth leaders, through education and media. The workshop will be led by human rights advocates from Malaysia, Uganda, Pakistan, and the U.S. with ample opportunity for active participatory engagement.
To RSVP, please fill out this brief form. For those who will be joining us virtually, a link to join the workshop will be shared via email prior to the event.
Check out our new store and for national and chapter events, check out our calendar here.
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Progressive Islam in Practice |
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At MPV we recognize that the Progressive Muslim movement will never sustain significant growth without making information about Progressive Islam more accessible to the Muslim community. The Progressive Islam in Practice Series is a manifestation of this campaign and as a result, we’ve helped to educate the community on topics from feminist readings of the Qur’an, abortion rights in Islam, issues of child and forced marriages, to the acceptance of sexual diversity in Islam.
In addition to sharing the series on social media, we have built up an entire page on the website dedicated to the Progressive Islam in Practice Series entitled Quick Learns.
This month, we are proud to bring you the Progressive Islam in Practice Series: Bodily Autonomy and Islam, a collaboration between MPV and Ad’iyah Collective, a movement dedicated to making space for Muslim people who have had abortions.
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If you appreciate the work that we do, please consider making a $15 dollar donation today in honor of MPV’s 15th birthday! Donate here to celebrate today! |
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