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Advisory Council

Pamela Taylor

Pamela Taylor is co-founder of MPV, a multi-genre writer, and a free-lance editor. She is the Director of the Islamic Writers Alliance and a member of the advisory board of the Network of Spiritual Progressives. She is also member of the National Writers Union, the Muslim American Journalists Association, and the American Civil Liberties Union.

Pamela's poetry has won several international awards, and her columns have been published in national newspapers such as the Dallas Morning News, the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the St. Paul Pioneer Press; and in Muslim media such as Muslim WakeUp!, The American Muslim, and Naseeb Vibes. Pamela is also a contributor to the Newsweek-Washington Post On Faith panel.

Pamela speaks on Islam, progressive values, and women, and has given lectures at many universities and conferences. She received a Master of Theological Studies with a concentration in Islamic Studies from Harvard Divinity School.

Zainah Anwar

Zainah Anwar is a prominent feminist and public intellectual, and the former Executive Director of the non-governmental organization Sisters in Islam in Malaysia. Ms. Anwar received a postgraduate degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, and is a former member of Malaysia’s Human Rights Commission. She has been profiled in the International Herald Tribune and on the PBS news show, Frontline.

Ms. Anwar’s book, Islamic Revivalism in Malaysia: Dakwah among the Students (Pelanduk, 1987), continues to be cited for its insights into modern-day Islam in Malaysia, and she is a frequent contributor to the editorial pages of Malaysia’s main newspaper, the New Straits Times. Her recent editorials cover such topics as freedom of the press, the underachievement of boys in Malaysian schools, compassion and pluralism in Islam, freedom of religion in the Arab world, and Malaysia’s gender gap in politics and the economy.

Sisters in Islam (SIS) is a Malaysian non-governmental organization founded in 1988 that is committed to upholding the principles of justice and human rights for women within the framework of Islam. Their program highlights provision of legal services, public education, outreach and advocacy to promote legal reform and protect the rights of women. SIS has published a number of publications concerning women, Islam and the law, including the following titles: Are Muslim Men Allowed to Beat Their Wives?, Islam and Family Planning, and Hadith on Women in Marriage. They have also conducted research on the impact of polygamy on the family, have developed draft legislation on Islamic Family Law, and maintain an active media presence in Malaysia to combat movements by government officials and religious authorities to restrict the rights of women at home and in society.

More Advisory Council biographies coming soon...