Threading Our Collective Humanity

First, let me vent.

The headlines the past few weeks have been consumed by the news of  Israel and Iran attacking each other, only overshadowed by the President of the United States’ illegal bombing of a sovereign state. But of course, this attack on Iran did not appear from thin air. For weeks now, I have read accounts of prominent American Jewish organizations lobbying for war with Iran, disregarding the fact that the United States was already engaged in diplomatic talks with Iran. But of course, this war conveniently distracted the world from the plight of the Palestinians. 

Every morning I read another story about Palestinians killed by Israeli forces as they seek food, knowing that as they journey to secure these basic necessities it might be the last time they see their family. All this is happening while I, and most likely you, slept in the peaceful comfort of our homes. As I write this on June 24, 37 Palestinians have already been killed before 10:45 AM local time in Gaza. The cumulative death toll is now over 56,000. Also ignored by the media outlets, whose responsibility it is to share the truth, is the fact that Palestinian landowners in Area C in the West Bank who hold deeds issued before the creation of the state of Israel are now required to re-register with the Israeli government. In the interim, illegal settlers can claim this property as their own. This is nothing less than legalized theft. 

So how do we overcome the cycle of violence and the war mongering? As an American citizen what can one do to support grassroots and localized peace movements in Palestine and Israel? Peace can only come through empathy. Empathy of “the other” is a tall order, an internal jihad, one of the most difficult struggles, especially when we are blanketed with hate. And it is for this reason I’ve decided to do my part toward peace. I’m joining the board of American Friends of the Parents Circle to lend my support to Palestinians and Israelis who, despite having lost loved ones at the hands of  “the other”, still find the love in their hearts to lock empathetic arms around each other. If my beloved ones were killed by “the other”, I don’t know if I could be this forgiving, but the least I can do is to make space for and lift up those who can. 

For me, there remains one solace from violence, and that is the arts. On June 22th, MPV launched the Silver Thread Collective, bringing together Muslims from diverse backgrounds who work in the entertainment industry to create new connections and support systems, all the more important in these very challenging times for American Muslims. My niat, or intention, is to cultivate an inclusive space, one where all feel the safety needed to nurture their fully authentic and creative selves. One attendee said, “Very grateful to have been included into this incubator of goodness.” That put a smile on my face. 

The launch of the Silver Thread Collective was in part inspired by my own experience in the music industry, where I felt forced to compartmentalize my Muslim identity. I write more about the loneliness I faced in the entertainment industry in my upcoming memoir “The Unlikely Social Justice Warrior”, which will be published by Lived Places Publishing on July 29, 2025.

Ultimately though, MPV’s Silver Thread Collective was created with the intention of using arts to thread together our universal humanity with empathy. 

Onward and upward…

Ani Zonneveld

President and Founder, Muslims for Progressive Values