Why Should I Care?

 
 

For some, today may simply be an ordinary Thursday but for Muslims for Progressive Values, it's an incredibly special Thursday because it marks 17 years to the day that MPV was founded. Like any 17 year old, we've experienced the highest of highs and lowest of lows. Over 17 years the impact of our work looks like this: 

  • The term "Progressive Islam" was deemed blasphemous. Now, scholars of Islam teach the hermeneutics of Progressive Islam in the context of social justice and human rights.

  • Homophobic teachings in mosques were the norm. Now, because of our advocacy, some imams at mosques have a healthier attitude of "don't ask, don't tell" and the younger generation of Muslims overwhelmingly support LGBTQIA+ rights.

  • Our inclusive communities with women-led prayer of mixed gender congregations was deemed heretic. Now there is a network of young Muslim women and LGBTQIA+ folks taking spiritual ownership and founding their own inclusive communities. MPV is now involved in establishing the network of European Council of Women Imams!

  • Muslims wanting to marry non-Muslims had no way of an Islamic marriage without the non-Muslim converting. To date, we have married thousands of mixed faith couples. 

  • At the United Nations, Muslim majority countries got away with justifying their human rights violations in the name of Sharia law. Not any more. MPV calls out their bluff.

Because MPV is progressive, we don't get funding from traditional Muslim foundations, and most secular foundations shun anything with "Muslim", we therefore rely on our supporters to carry the oversized weight on our backs. 

 Please support Muslims for Progressive Values as we prepare ourselves for the next 17 years of navigating the highs and lows of advocacy as a progressive Muslim organization in an increasingly anti-rights world, and as we move to the next phase of incorporating more arts and music in our work. We encourage you to make a donation today!

Onward and upward....but above all, end the genocide.

 Ani Zonneveld,

President & Founder

Ani Zonneveld