Celebrating 19 Years of MPV
Just a few days ago, on Aug 29th, MPV celebrated our 19th birthday. We have come a very long way as an organization founded on progressive ideals, and which remarkably has flourished in so many corners of the United States and around the world, impacting lives in very positive and real ways. Through consistent messaging and principled positions, no matter how difficult it may be, we chiseled away the harsh skeptics, softened hardened hearts, and have won people over through pure intentions. And if I’ve learned anything these past 19 years, that is all one can do.
As more and more progressive Muslims turn to us for support, we’ve started utilizing our platform to help them promote their scholarship, writings, research, and entrepreneurial, artistic, and creative endeavors, and partnering with them to bolster their entrepreneurial spirit.
By doing the latter, not only is MPV empowering the vast progressive Muslim talents, we’re also generating revenue, which is essential for our longevity. The latest partnership is the launch of our Quran app “Passage of the Day” , which provides daily wisdom for mindful living. What makes this app different is the incorporation of a methodology called tasreef, which utilizes the language of the Quran to translate the Quran, rather than external sources like hadith and modern Arabic. As a result, common misinterpretations like “to beat” (your wife) are accurately translated to “to separate”, which incidentally is what Prophet Muhammad did. Check out the app here! That’s moving forward.
Looking back, in August I traveled to Bangkok for the 11th Annual International Religious Freedom in Asia - Representation, Restrictions, Rights Conference organized by Asia Center, where I spoke on the panel “Middle East Conflict and Impact on FoRB in Asia”. FoRB, short for Freedom of Religion and Belief, is one of the United Nations’ principles giving the individual the right to practice their faith, or not, which was the impetus for the founding of MPV. This U.N. mandate has been extensively supported by the “Western Democracies”, albeit with nuanced agendas. For example in the U.S., FoRB has increasingly meant the right to promote Christianity and for the protection of Christians. In the E.U. it generally means the right to be free from religion, which includes the protection of ex-Muslims. Meanwhile in the Muslim world, FoRB is looked upon suspiciously as a tool for Christians to proselytize, and to undermine cultural norms and sharia law.
Most Muslim majority countries have a state definition of Islam, which essentially eliminates any form of religious freedom If you deviate from this state definition, you can easily be labelled an apostate, and through the sharia court systems, you will face a fine and/or jail time, unless you repent. (I was accused by the Malaysian government and its religious authorities as a deviant and I wrote extensively about it in my memoir).
One issue raised on the panel was the discrepancies in which the various genocides around the world are being addressed. Rohingya Muslims fleeing the genocide in Myanmar have been reluctantly (and this is a generous phrasing considering the racist pushback from so many across the country) settled in Malaysia, but many are being sent back and those who stay face racist vitriol and hostile and inhumane living conditions; Uyghur Muslims are experiencing cultural and reproductive genocide by the Chinese government, and yet the Malaysian government has extensive business dealings with China. Meanwhile the Israel’s genocide in Gaza is rightlly condemned in uncompromising terms by the Malaysian government, which forbides Israelis (not Jews) from entering Malaysia. Each of these groups is facing campaigns of extermination because of their religious and racial identities, and yet each single government has responded in dramatically different ways to these genocidal campaigns . But like I said in my book, at least Malaysia doesn’t claim to be a human rights champion unlike the U.S. and other Western democracies.
There was also a discussion about the large illegal settlements of Israelis and IDF soldiers in Thailand, sparked by an account of an Israeli tourist who told off a Thai official while visiting a synagogue saying, “you’re on Israeli property”.
On a final, and much lighter note, MPV’s Silver Thread will be hosting our second Emmy’s Brunch on September 12, where we will be honoring Aasif Mandvi and Sepideh Moafi (of The Pit) with the Cultural Impact Award. I’ll also be hosting a book discussion with Pulitzer finalist Carla Power.
Upward and onward…
Ani Zonneveld
President & Founder of Muslims for Progressive Values