In light of the recent murders of bloggers in Bangladesh, Ani Zonneveld, founder and president of the faith-based human rights organisation Muslims for Progressive Values (MPV), gave an interview Dhaka Tribune. Ani talks about launching MPV and its #ImamsForShe initiative; being the first Malaysian woman to be awarded with a Grammy certification; and starting the Bangladesh chapter of MPV.
For what purpose did MPV come into being? Why is there a need for organisations like MPV?
I was born and raised as a Muslim in Malaysia. Being the child of a diplomat, I had the luxury of traveling; experiencing diverse cultures and religions; and in other words, reveling in the richness of God’s creations. For over sixteen years, I lived in Germany, Egypt, and India. I have met many dignitaries, including the Malaysian king and queen, and former Indian Prime Ministers Morarji Desai and Indira Gandhi. I have seen the destruction of war in the Sinai Peninsula and the depressing state of a refugee camp. After the September 11 attacks in the US, many Muslims in America reassessed what it meant to be a Muslim. It was liberating when I discovered that the Islam I was raised on did not truly reflect the Quran’s ideals. Going back to the traditional mosque with its unprincipled stances would have made me complicit in intolerance. That’s when I decided to start a progressive Muslim community, and in 2006, I realised my vision by forming MPV in Los Angeles. I also released an Islamic pop music album as a way to remind Muslims of our inherently progressive values and to show non-Muslims a different face of Islam. Sadly, many American Muslim organisations deemed a woman’s voice as ‘awrah’ (nakedness). The fact that I used musical instruments in my album made it doubly ‘haraam’ (forbidden). These claims about the religion of Islam are insulting.
And how have you dealt with such hardline interpretations?
All our principles are based on the Quran and traditions. We have built our foundation on thoughts of Muslim scholars of all types. Most hardliners are not interested in debate. Not all hardliners are violent, but their level of intolerance and supremacist ideology makes crossing the line into violence easier to justify.
MPV’s ongoing campaign #ImamsForShe has gained positive reactions. Tell us more about the campaign.
For the longest time, we have been brainwashed by religious leaders who preach hate. We call them the “Hate Imams.” But we also recognise that there are imams who teach love, compassion, justice for all, including for women, and we call them #ImamsForShe. Our #ImamsForShe initiative is a way to empower imams, religious leaders, and scholars of Islam with an inclusive worldview. Imams are respected members of the society; they have the (self-awarded) responsibility of leading the community onto the right path, one where everyone is treated with dignity and in a just manner.
The other identity of yours is that of a singer: the first woman to release an English Islamic pop music album in the US and the first Malaysian to win a Grammy certification. How did this journey begin?
I am a trained pianist since the age of five and I have picked up other instruments, such as the sitar, tabla, and bass and acoustic guitars. After graduating in Economics and Political Science from an American university, I decided to pursue my passion for music in Los Angeles as a songwriter. I felt like I was a fish out of water because the music industry culture is scrupulous. What’s odd is that the higher up the chain you go, the nicer people are. In other words, those who are unkind usually amount to zero. Production is a male-dominated niche and it was rather difficult breaking that glass ceiling. I don’t have piercings or a red-punky hairstyle, so I did not exactly fit the visual image of the tracks I was producing which were rock, funky, and “manly.” My Grammy certification is the result of writing with a long-time friend Keb’ Mo’ on the project called “Keep it Simple.” The song we wrote is titled One Friend.
What messages do you have for aspiring singers, especially young Muslim women who are held back from the performing arts in conservative societies?
Muslim women are often told that their voice is “awrah” or is to be covered, and Islam is used as a justification. We’ve had centuries of Muslim women speakers, scholars, poets, singers, and even “imamah” appointed by Prophet Muhammad himself. To all the Muslim women out there: Islam elevated our rights. Don’t let anyone take your rights away from you.
There was a renowned young musician in Bangladesh, who “left” music a year ago so that they could be a “better Muslim.” What do you have to say to that?
Music is spirituality. God is the most creative entity, and God breathed soul into the fetus. We are all born with God’s creative expression. To kill that creative spirit is to kill off God’s gift to you. What a sad thing to do to yourself.
Earlier this year, you initiated the Bangladesh chapter for MPV. What expectations do you have for MPV Bangladesh?
We hope MPV-Bangladesh will remind the beauty of our faith’s traditions, encompassing peace, justice, compassion, and mercy; and will oppose injustice and oppression, just like Prophet Muhammad did. You cannot have an environment where an individual’s right to think or to express is censored or, even worse, punished with murder. How is that Islamic? Did Prophet Muhammad kill people for disagreeing with him? Absolutely not! I hope MPV along with like-minded Bangladeshis will take the country [Bangladesh] to Islam’s roots of inclusivity, love, and compassion. That is the way to prosperity.