Muslims for Progressive Values is actively engaged in advocacy efforts at the grassroots, national government, and international level. These efforts are often collaborative with other organizations. Below are some of the documents related to our advocacy.
AMICI CURIAE US FOOD & DRUG ADMINISTRATION V. ALLIANCE FOR HIPPOCRATIC MEDICINE ET AL.
MPV joins 33 other faith based organizations in the United States to urge the Supreme Court to reverse the Fifth Circuit’s decision staying the FDA’s 2016 and 2021 actions concerning mifepristone.
AMICI CURIAE STATE OF TEXAS, ET AL. VS. ZURAWSKI, ET AL. (21 NOVEMBER 2023)
MPV joins 19 other faith based organizations based in the United States to voice concern about the lack of access to abortion care in Texas, denying them their right to make health choices consistent with their faith and violating the sanctity of patient-provider decision making.
MPV joins 22 faith based organizations in the United States to voice concern about the Fifth Circuit’s decision that stays implementation of the U.S. FDA’s decision, which allows mifepristone to be prescribed by telemedicine and dispensed in the mail. The coalition of organizations affirms the rights that every pregnant person should be able to decide for themselves whether to continue a pregnancy or not.
An Open Letter to President Biden (16 JUNE 2023)
Through a coalition of organizations and activists led by Hindus for Human Rights, Muslims for Progressive Values sent an open letter to President Biden calling on him to engage in meaningful dialogue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the vulnerability of India’s democracy as a result of Prime Minister Modi’s increasingly autocratic rule.
US Civil Society Organizations Condemn Anti-Minority Violence in Pakistan (12 APRIL 2023)
Hindus for Human Rights and a diverse coalition of US-based civil society organizations and global allies, including MPV sent the following letter to the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington, DC, expressing concern about recent violence against religious minorities in Pakistan.
#Faith4ERA Judiciary Committee Statement (28 FEBRUARY 2023)
In conjunction with the other #Faith4ERA Coalition member, MPV presented a statement during the first Senate hearing on the Equal Rights Amendment in nearly 40 years. We invite you to read the full testimony on this important piece of legislation above.
MPV is proud to join 110 other religiously affiliated and faith-aligned organizations in supporting the EACH Act because everyone deserves universal access to affordable healthcare, including coverage for abortion care, so they can make their own, informed decisions about their bodies and futures.
“Gender Ideology” Narratives: A Threat To Human Rights (JULY 2022)
For decades, feminist scholars and advocates have articulated important concepts related to gender to understand and challenge oppression and discrimination. Those concepts have now become the target of anti-rights actors who claim that oppressive patriarchal gender roles are “common sense”, strategically painting all other ideas, cultural norms, and forms of social life as a dangerous, conspirative ideology.
Multi-Faith Letter of Support for the Respect for Marriage Act (S. 4556) (16 SEPTEMBER 2022)
MPV joined a coalition of 40 faith-based organizations and denominations to demonstrate their support for the Respect for Marriage Act (S. 4556), which would take meaningful action to protect inter-race and same-sex marriage. The letter was delivered to Senator Tammy Baldwin, the lead sponsor of the bill, on September 16, 2022 and was shared with her fellow Senators the following week.
MPV joins fellow CARD members to call on Secretaries Vilsack, Cardona, Becerra, Mayorkas, Fudge, Walsh, and McDonough, Attorney General Garland, and Administrator Power to thank the Biden administration for steps it has taken to prevent religious discrimination through the Partnerships with Faith-Based and Neighborhood Organizations program. Additionally, CARD called on the administration to restore critical protections for program participants and to make certain that the regulations adhere to longstanding religious freedom principles.
AMICI CURIAE EMILEE CARPENTER LLC V. JAMES (16 MAY 2022)
MPV joins a coalition of 15 faith based organizations to support the Appellees in Emilee Carpenter LLC v. James. The brief stands in opposition to the claims of a wedding photographer who professes a religious objection to serving weddings of same-sex couples and calls on this type of discrimination against LGBTQ individuals, which undermines religious freedom, to end.
AMICI CURIAE DOBBS V. JACKSON WOMEN’S HEALTH ORGANIZATION (SEPTEMBER 2021)
MPV joins 54 other religious organizations to support the respondents in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. This brief is a pivotal pushback against the increased restrictions we see on abortion access across the United States.
SUPPORT THE WOMEN’S HEALTH PROTECTION ACT (2021)
MPV joins a coalition of 225+ organizations urging the Senate to bring the Women’s Health Protection Act Bill to the Senate floor and swiftly pass the bill.
THE COALITION AGAINST RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION (CARD) (9 DECEMBER, 2021)
CARD, a coalition of 67 advocacy organizations in the United States, including MPV, joined in signing a letter addressed to the Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs in support of a proposed rule Proposal to Rescind Implementing Legal Requirements Regarding the Equal Opportunity Clause’s Religious Exemption to rescind the Office’s legal requirements put in place on January 8, 2021 through the rule Implementing Legal Requirements Regarding the Equal Opportunity Clause’s Religious Exemption. Through passage of the proposal rule, the Department would move towards a restoration of religious freedoms and an end to religious discrimination and employment disqualification based on religion.
LETTER REJECTING REPORT OF COMMISSION ON UNALIENABLE RIGHTS (30 JULY, 2020)
MPV joins 230 other Human Rights Organizations to reject the letter of the Commission on Unalienable rights.
COALITION AGAINST RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION (CARD) (16 SEPTEMBER, 2019)
MPV and seventy-nine national organizations joined in a letter opposing the Department of Labor proposed rule that would expand the religious exemption in Executive Order 11246. The proposed rule makes drastic changes to the existing religious exemption in Executive Order 11246 that bars federal contractors from discriminating in employment. Under the proposed rule, even for-profit corporations could cite religious reasons to engage in employment discrimination based on race, national origin, or sex, including sexual orientation or gender identity. And the proposed rule makes it harder to challenge those instances of discrimination.
AMICI CURIAE BRIEF BOSTOCK V. CLAYTON COUNTY, GA. (3 JULY, 2019)
MPV Board of Trustees member Adeel Abdullah Mangi and his team at the law firm Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP, filed amicus brief in three cases before the U.S. Supreme Court supporting employees arguing that Title VII prohibits discrimination against LGBT individuals in the workplace. The brief was filed on behalf of a coalition of 12 American Muslim organizations.
LETTER OPPOSING DISCRIMINATORY CHILD WELFARE BILL (3 MAY, 2018)
MPV joined numerous other faith-based organizations to oppose an amendment in the Kansas Adoption Act (SB 284) that allows child-placement agencies to refuse to place children with families or agencies if doing so conflicted with the placement agency's religious beliefs. MPV opposes this bill it enables agencies to discriminate against LGBTQI individuals or same-sex couples looking to adopt.
AMICI CURIAE BRIEF VIDAL V. NIELSON AND THE STATE OF NEW YORK V. TRUMP (11 APRIL, 2018)
MPV joins 121 other religious organizations to support the plaintiffs in Vidal v. Nielson and The State of New York v. Trump. This brief is a pivotal pushback against President Trump's attempts to thwart justice for children of immigrants.
AMICI CURIAE BRIEF AGAINST TRUMP FOR RESCINDING DACA (22 DECEMBER, 2017)
MPV Joins 87 other religious organizations to support a suit against Trump and the Sec. of Homeland Security for rescinding DACA.
AMICI CURIAE BRIEF MASTERPIECE CAKE SHOP V. COLORADO CIVIL RIGHTS COMMISSION
MPV joins over 1,300 faith leaders to support the Colorado Civil Rights Commission in its case against Masterpiece Cake Shop, the owner of which cited religious beliefs in his refusal to cater for a gay wedding. The other signatures on the brief include those of the following: The Central Conference of American Rabbis; The Rocky Mountain Conference of the United Church of Christ; the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association; the Union for Reform Judaism; Unitarian Universalist Association; Covenant Network of Presbyterians; Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Concerns; Methodist Federation for Social Action; More Light Presbyterians; Muslims for Progressive Values; The Open and Affirming Coalition of the United Church of Christ; Reconciling Ministries Network; Reconcilingworks: Lutherans for full Participation; Religious institute, inc.; Women of Reform Judaism; and nearly 1,300 individual faith leaders.
AMICI CURIAE BRIEF RIMS BARBER, ET AL. V. GOVERNER PHIL BRYANT, ET AL. (13 OCTOBER, 2017)
In this brief, MPV joins several other religiously affiliated organizations to oppose legislation that discriminates against LGBT persons. The other organizations signed onto this bill include the following: The central Conference of American Rabbis, The General Synod of the United Church of Christ, the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association, the Union for Reform Judaism, Unitarian Universalist Association, Covenant Network of Presbyterians, Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Concerns, Methodist Federation for Social Action, More Light Presbyterians, Muslims for Progressive Values, the Open and Affirming Coalitions of the United Church of Christ, Reconciling Ministries Network, Reconcilingworks, Lutherans for Full Participation, Religious Institute, Inc., and Women of Reform Judaism.
LETTER TO THE CALIFORNIA STATE LEGISLATURE (28 MARCH, 2017)
In this letter, MPV joins sixteen other faith groups to call on California legislators to oppose discrimination against working families and support passage of the Reproductive Health Non-Discrimination Act (AB 569).
STATEMENT ON ATTACKS ON ATHEISTS, SECULARISTS, AND RELIGIOUS MINORITIES IN BANGLADESH
In conjunction with numerous other organizations, MPV endorsed this letter to the government of Bangladesh, condemning its government for issuing statements that appeared to blame the victims of violent extremist attacks for their own deaths. This same letter strongly urged the government of Bangladesh to take immediate steps to protect vigorously the rights to freedom of religion, belief, and expression, both in word and in deed.
LETTER TO U.S, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES (17 JANUARY, 2017)
As a result of years of collaboration with many national organizations on various issues, MPV is often the go-to organization on progressive issues. It is this sort of trust that resulted in 90 organizations signing on to a letter to legislatures: to urge you to support core principles of the First Amendment and religious freedom in our country by denouncing anti-Muslim rhetoric and policy proposals.
LETTTER TO SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE (6 JANUARY, 2017)
This is a letter submitted by 70 reproductive health, rights, and justice organizations, including MPV, in strong opposition to the nomination of Senator Jeff Sessions as United States Attorney General.
LETTER TO NANCY PELOSI (5 DECEMBER, 2016)
Letter sent by faith-based, atheist, and humanist organization, including MPV, to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi request the appointment of a non-theistic commissioner to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).
