Muslims for Progressive Values (MPV) takes pleasure in inviting you to our 2023 national conference convening progressive and inclusive Muslims, Muslim organizations, as well as our friends and allies. Our objective is to formulate collective strategies and actions, uniting our voices effectively in the pursuit of promoting and upholding human rights values and social justice for all. The conference also aims to strategize how progressive Muslim voices can actively contribute to broader progressive discussions and play a significant role in shaping conversations within the Muslim community.
Where: The conference will take place at the James Memorial Chapel at Union Theological Seminary (3041 Broadway, New York, NY 10027).
Dates: Saturday, September 30, 9 AM - 5 PM EST (open to the public) | Sunday, October 1, 9 AM - 3:15 PM EST (closed to members, donors and community leaders)
Conference Fees: Registration for the conference is $50/PAX and $35/student with a valid student ID. Please purchase your ticket below.
This conference in sponsored in part by Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Center for Pluralism, Parity, Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP, rūhwisdom, and Union Theological Seminary.
Program Outline
Breakfast / Refreshments
9:00 AM - 9:20 AM
Opening Remarks - Dr. Sandra Montes, Dean of Chapel, Union Theological Seminary
9:30 AM - 9:40 AM
Opening Prayer & Song - Shifa Rahman, Union Theological Seminary Student & Ani Zonneveld, MPV Founder & President
9:45 AM - 9:55 AM
Conference Background - Ani Zonneveld, Muslims for Progressive Values Founder & President
9:55 AM - 10:10 AM
Panel 1: Conservative Views on the Forefront: When the Religious Right Come Together
Time: 10:15 AM - 11:45 AM
Description: Since the 2016 election and the rise of the culture wars, conservative religious groups have sought to further advance the power of religious extremist ideology by targeting the basic human rights of women's reproductive rights and LGBTQIA+ people. This expert group of panelists, led by moderator Ani Zonneveld, will assess the challenges that a burgeoning alliance between far right Christians and conservative Muslims presents for progressive Muslim leaders and politicians.
Panelists: Maggie Garrett (Americans United for the Separation of Church and State), Sunita Viswanath (Hindus for Human Rights), Zaki Berzinji (Aspen Digital)
Panel 2: Strategy Session: Combating the Religious Rights’ Alliance
Time: 11:45 - 12:30 PM
Description: Building off the expert analysis offered during Panel 1, Panel II’s Strategy Session will offer an opportunity for conference attendees and panelists to come together to review key takeaways from Panel 1. In this interactive strategy session, led by moderator, Ani Zonneveld, panelists and attendees will discuss and evaluate concrete solutions that can be utilized to combat the surging alliance between the various factions of the religious right across the world and specifically in the United States ahead of the momentous upcoming election year.
Panelists: Maggie Garrett (Americans United for the Separation of Church and State), Sunita Viswanath (Hindus for Human Rights), Zaki Berzinji (Aspen Digital)
Lunch
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Speech II - Zainab Tanvir, MPV New York
1:40 PM - 1:55 PM
Panel 3: Envisioning an Ummah for All: Freedom of Religion and Belief for Queer Muslims
Time: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Description: With the release of Navigating Differences and MPV’s response with an Op-Ed on Religion News Service this past summer, came a reckoning for Progressive Muslims across the world that left unabated, homophobic discourse within the Muslim community will only further erode the rights of Queer Muslims to freely practice Islam. Guided by Union Theological Seminary’s Afsheen Shami, this diverse group of panelists will examine the rights of Queer Muslims through the lens of Islamic jurisprudence and the unique needs this community requires from their straight as well as non-Muslim allies.
Panelists: Kandeel Javid (Muslims for Progressive Values Boston), Muaz Chaudhry (Obama Foundation Scholar), and Wazina Ali (Coming Out Muslim: Radical Acts of Love)
Break
3:00 PM - 3:10 PM
Panel 4: The Role of Art, Theater, and Music in Reshaping the Muslim American Identity
Time: 3:15 PM - 4:15 PM
Description: Although the long tradition of arts, theater, and music in Islamic traditions and across Muslim societies has been largely overlooked in the contemporary Muslim American experience, artists, creators, performers and musicians have begun to refute the belief that Muslim artists don’t exist. In this panel, led by MPV New York Chapter organizer, Zainab Tanvir, panelists will explore the unique role that Muslim American artists can cultivate in creating a uniquely Muslim American identity.
Panelists: Ani Zonneveld (MPV), Nadia Khan (Artist & Organizer, MPV Boston), Nat Amazan (Poet & Law Student)
Concluding Remarks - El Farouk Khaki, el-Tawhid Juma Circle Unity Mosques
4:25 PM - 4:40 PM
Questions & Logistics for Day 2
4:45 - 5:00 PM