A FOREWORD BY DR. MIKE GHOUSE
Ani, you are an extraordinary Muslim leader, a compelling writer, and a powerful voice for pluralism and understanding. You have profoundly understood the progressive spirit of Islam and the timeless message of the Prophet Muhammad.
Each month, when your President’s Letter arrives, I put everything aside to read it first. Your insights consistently inspire reflection, challenge assumptions, and illuminate pathways toward greater understanding.
Your presence and remarks at the CFR were deeply admired. Having once been part of that circle myself, I recognize the significance of your contribution and the impact of your voice in such spaces.
Every word you have shared has resonated deeply with me, and I value not only your perspective but also the thoughtful quotations and reflections you bring from fellow speakers. Much of my own work and dialogue returns to a central theme: how Prophet Muhammad successfully governed a pluralistic, secular civic state in Madinah — a model of coexistence, justice, and inclusive governance that remains profoundly relevant today.
More about Ani appears at the end of this letter.
Ani Zonneveld gives an impressive Muslim talk at the Council on Foreign Relations.
While my heart is with the arts and the positive impact that culture and creativity can have on humanity, my head remains in the numerous policy spaces that desperately need the progressive and human rights affirming interpretation of Islam upon which MPV has built its legacy.
Some of you may know that I am a member of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), a prominent and influential think tank based out of New York. On May 20-21, CFR held its annual Faith and Foreign Relations convening, and when I RSVP’ed, I asked, “Will there be a panel of faith leaders against war?”
I was pleasantly surprised to be asked to be on the panel, “Conflict in the Middle East” (pictured below). The co-panelists included Neda Bolourchi, nonresident senior fellow at the Institute for Global Affairs at Eurasia Group; Christina Bouri, Middle East fellow at the Episcopal Church; and David Saperstein, rabbi and former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom. Elisa Ewers, senior fellow for Middle East Studies at CFR, moderated the discussion.
Here’s a transcript of my remarks from the panel
Thanks Elisa for saving the best for last! Thank you as well to the Council on Foreign Relations, to Irina and the whole CFR team.
I am going to carry on with the RADICAL HONESTY thread started by Tenzin P. Rinpoche (CEO of the Dalai Lama Center for Ethics and Transformative Values) and do what Jesus did, flip the table and hone in on peace rather than the conflict.
RADICALISM OF ALL STRIPES:
Just as there are radical and supremacist versions of Hindusim – Hindutva, Buddhism resulting in the genocide of Rohingyas, the Israel government with its invocation of Amalek and this supremacist version of Judaism, defined as genocide by scholars of genocide, including Israeli scholars. Islam is no different with its violent streak and its use of theology to perpetuate conflict. Since radical Islam and Muslims is already the media’s favorite headline, there’s already enough attention on this, but not enough on progressive and rights affirming interpretations of Islam. I’m therefore going to focus on the latter.
MORAL CORRUPTION:
At the heart of the problem is moral corruption of religious teachings from Islamic institutions. What is not being taught enough, if at all, is the inclusive and human rights framing that can be utilized in today’s conflicts. At Muslims for Progressive Values and our global umbrella organization Alliance of Inclusive Muslims, that’s all we do – educating the Muslim general public of an alternative rights affirming interpretation of Islam.
COVENANT
As an example, The Covenants of Prophet Muhammad. He was the governor of Medina, and he did so in a secular manner. He governed over pagan, Christian and Jewish tribes, and did so without imposing Islamic norms on the tribe. Instead, each tribe governed on the basis of their own religious laws. The Prophet also drew agreements spelling out the responsibilities of Muslims such as – protection of religious institutions, places of worship, worshippers, monks, clergy, UNTIL THE END OF TIME. And in some of the covenants, non-Muslim women in marriage were not allowed to be forced to convert into Islam.
COVENANT AS A TOOL
These covenants can be used in current conflicts such in Egypt in how the Copts are treated, or in Pakistan where Christian women are forced into marriage, which in itself is NOT Islamic, is also forced to convert, which contradicts the Quran’s mandate as in chapter 2 verse 256, “let there be no compulsion in faith”.
ANTI COVENANT-MUSLIM
The interesting thing is, when we have promoted the Covenant of Prophet Muhammad through social media and various education forums, we get a hard pushback from the Muslim Right – which I would lump them all together as the anti-human rights camp. And that’s because these rights affirming theology undermines their political agenda. Using religion to divide and conquer is an old and easy modus operandi.
ANTI COVENANT-NON MUSLIMS
What’s also interesting is, non-Muslim human rights groups also push back against us and our framing of using Islam in a human rights affirming language as it undermines their narrative of victimhood! With victimhood comes money to do the work. And if the work is done, then you’re out of a job.
MORAL CORRUPTION – MORAL BUDGET
And that’s why we have the world that we have because there’s more money in conflict and war. People have bought stocks in companies producing weapons, and AI companies that identify who to shoot and kill.
I was therefore really elated to hear Myal Greene, CEO of World Relief point blank say that the imbalance between our military budget and our humanitarian budget is evident in our moral budget, whether it be government or family, a response that evoked applause from this audience. Which tells me, even this privileged crowd is tired of death and destruction.
And to quote Dr. Zafer Sahlour of MedGlobal last night, we cannot segregate our moral concerns.
So here’s the moral question for all of us to address, especially if you’re a person of faith. Where are you putting your money? In military stocks or in humanitarian causes? Let’s start there.
With that, I invite you all to return to the arts with me by checking out our latest Silver Thread grantee, a play “The Last Palestinian” (more details below) and supporting our work by joining us at the “Many Voices. One Thread” event in Los Angeles.
If you cannot join us in LA but want to contribute, donations are appreciated so that more Muslim artists have the opportunity to share their untold stories.
I thank you!
Onward and upward…
Ani Zonneveld
Founder & President, Muslims for Progressive Values
Ani Zonneveld is an author, singer, a Grammy certified songwriter, founder and President of Muslims for Progressive Values (MPV). Its mission is to inculcate a culture rooted in human rights through public education, advocacy and the arts. She is a strong supporter of freedom of expression and of conscience, women’s rights and as an ally, LGBTQ rights.
Ani is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations; a board member of American Friends of the Family Circle, the Community Partners Foundation, and on the U.N. Inter-agency’s Faith Advisory Council. She was commissioned by the U.N. Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect to create an anti-hate speech workshop for Muslim communities. In 2023 she was selected as an “inspirational woman” in the LA Times. Ani co-authored a chapter “Transnational Progressive Islam: Theory, Networks, and Lived Experience” for a book titled “Handbook of Contemporary Islam and Muslim Lives” published by Springer (2021). Ani’s memoir titled “The Unlikely Social Justice Warrior: Making My Life Count as a Muslim Feminist” is published by Live Places Publishing, 2025.
Born in Malaysia, Ani, a Muslim since birth, spent a good portion of her formative years raised in Germany, Egypt and India as an Ambassador’s daughter. Her exposure to different politics, religions and cultures has shaped her inclusive worldview.
For a full CV, please click here. LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter: @AniZonneveld