Board of Directors

22 January 2009

 

The Board of Directors of Muslims for Progressive Values is made up of motivated and experienced progressive Muslims living and working in the United States.

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, Yarehk Hernandez

Yarehk Hernandez is an educator, poet and progressive Muslim activist. He completed his undergraduate studies at the City University of New York, where he majored in Middle East History and minored in Comparative Religion. He completed his graduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania, where he received a Master of Science in Education and majored in Secondary Social Studies/Citizenship education. Yarehk has also spent time traveling and studying Ilm al‐Tassawuf (Sufism).

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 works in student affairs at a public university in Northern California. She specializes in providing resources and referrals to underrepresented students, including LGBT communities and communities of color. Sara graduated from Pitzer College with a Bachelor of Arts in Islamic cultural studies and sociology. She is a graduate of the prestigious Coro Fellowship in Public Affairs, a nine-month post-graduate program training ethical and effective leaders.

Shahla Khan Salter

Shahla Khan Salter chairs the new Muslims for Progressive Values Ottawa, soon to be Muslims for Progressive Values Canada. She is a lawyer by profession, having received her Call to the Bar from the Law Society of Manitoba in 1992. She has practiced family law extensively, served as counsel to the Islamic Education Foundation of Manitoba and assisted the Canadian Council of Muslim Women in its successful campaign to end faith based arbitration in the Province of Ontario. She has conducted seminars for the Canadian Council of Muslim Women on a comparison of Muslim Family Law and Canadian Family Law and for Crime Prevention Ottawa to raise awareness of domestic violence against women in Canada’s Muslim community. She is also an executive member of the Community Council for Ethno-Cultural Equity, an advisory committee to the Ottawa Carleton District School Board, on issues respecting discrimination and a married mother of three.