About Us > Board of Directors

Board of Directors

Chair, Ani Zonneveld

Ani is a co-founder of MPV and a songwriter, producer, singer and multi-instrumentalist artist. She has worked with musicians and released work in Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan, and the United States. Her work in Malaysia resulted in an Album of the Year award at the AIMM, which is the Malaysian equivalent of the Grammy. Ani contributed songs to Keb’ Mo’s 2003 Grammy-nominated album Big Wide Grin and his 2005 Grammy-winning album Keep It Simple (Contemporary Blues category) as well as songs for Melissa Manchester’s latest release, Thank You For Your Faith In Me, and Japanese artist Yuki's chart-topping album Joy. In the genre of Islamic music, Ani produced Irfan Makki’s first album, Salam, and recorded vocals with Dawud Wharnsby Ali.

Ani's released Islamic pop projects Ummah Wake Up and One are available at her website, http://www.a-n-i.net/. Her speaking and singing engagement take her to mosques, churches, synagogues, peace vigils, and panel discussions, and have earned her appearances in several magazine, radio, and television features.

Vice Chair, Kareem Elbayar

Kareem Elbayar is a Middle East / North Africa Legal Specialist at the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law, where he focuses on civil society law reform in the Arab world. He holds a Juris Doctorate and a Master of Arts in International Affairs from the George Washington University Law School, and has had articles on Islamic law and Arab democratization published in academic journals and newspapers around the world.

Secretary, Nooreen Dabbish

Nooreen Dabbish is an aspiring physician-scientist in the University of Pennsylvania’s MD / Ph.D. program. She organizes a local group for progressive muslims of Philadelphia.

Interfaith Coordinator, Vanessa Karam

Vanessa Karam is adjunct professor of English and Islamic Studies at the Buddhist-affiliated University of the West in Los Angeles, CA. She holds a Master of Arts in Islamic Studies and Linguistics from Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany. Vanessa is the Muslim co-organizer of the Los Angeles Jewish-Muslim Dialogue Group, and in 2007 she traveled to Israel and Palestine as a member of the first interfaith Pilgrimage of Peace.

Sammer Aboelela

Sammer Aboelela is a photographer, writer, and activist. His work has appeared in the NYC publications ARAMICA and The Brooklyn Rail, the online journals LOGOS and altmuslim. In September 2006 he traveled with a peace delegation to Sudan in an effort to promote dialogue as a means to help resolve, and promote awareness of, the Darfurian humanitarian crisis. Sammer also organizes the New York City Progressive Muslim Meetup which has over 500 members and meets weekly.

Sara Farooqi

Sara Farooqi recently graduated from Pitzer College in Claremont, CA. She holds a Bachelor of Arts with honors in Islamic Cultural Studies and Sociology and has a passion for campus organizing. While in college, she co-founded and led Itihad: Middle Eastern Students' Union and has organized successful fundraising campaigns for earthquake victims in Kashmir and Afghan refugees in Pakistan. This year, she will be heading to Pittsburgh to complete a prestigious CORO fellowship in public affairs and learning the ins-and-outs of public policy through the perspectives of the business, governmental and non-profit sectors.