Today we’d like to introduce you to Ani Zonneveld.
Hi Ani, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
From a young age, my parents had raised me and my siblings on the mantra, “apa sahaja yang Ani buat dalam hidup, jadikan hidup yang bermakna”, (whatever you do in life, make your life count). As an immigrant from Malaysia, I have lived out my American dream, not just once but twice. First as a songwriter and producer garnering a Grammy certification for a project with the contemporary blues artist Keb’ Mo’ and the second, realizing my privilege as an American Muslim by spearheading a progressive Muslim human rights movement right here in Los Angeles that has not just gone national, but global.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Regardless of religion or tradition, being a woman challenging patriarchal institutions, and in my case the misogynistic and homophobic interpretations of Islam that have gone mainstream, can be daunting. Despite the 1400 years of inclusivity, respect, and social justice that are core to the religious teachings, what has dominated unfortunately are the harmful patriarchal interpretations that run counter to the true teachings. Some of the common challenges I face in this work are issues that we are facing both in California and across the globe. Issues like child/forced marriages, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), and discriminatory attitudes toward LGBTQIA+ folks seem to know no boundaries as I’ve learned that having laws in place doesn’t necessarily translate to eradicating a harmful practice or belief system. For example, even with a federal ban on FGM, a doctor in Detroit was performing the practice on girls after office hours. We may have laws allowing same-sex marriage across the nation, but there are segments of our society who will refuse to allow for the depiction of same-sex parents in school books promoting inclusivity.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Finding creative solutions to the daunting human rights issues is my skill set. I’ve never shied away from issues and spaces that many would prefer to ignore, especially when what is required of us is to change harmful cultural practices within our own traditions and to replace them with an inclusive culture.
To change the mindset of the next generation, I co-authored and co-created an inclusive curriculum rooted in human rights with an early child development expert Shaleena Tareen. The curriculum is inclusive of all faiths, genders and encompasses love for humankind and nature with lots of music, art activities, and critical thinking exercises.
Music has a special place in our hearts, especially in various faith traditions. To create a new Western Muslim tradition, I blend classical music and Islamic theology to create a new genre “Islamic hymns”. It offers a new cultural identity for American Muslims and Muslim immigrants in the West, whose cultures, like mine, are also from elsewhere.
Another example of the unique advocacy around cultivating an American Muslim culture is the creation of an interfaith marriage service that offers nikah or Islamic wedding services to Muslims and their non-Muslim partners. Recently, I co-officiated an interfaith marriage alongside a female Rabbi. As we officiated, we wove together our many traditional similarities, displaying to both sides of the family and friends the harmony of our traditions and in doing so, brought the importance of inclusivity and social cohesion to the forefront of peoples’ minds.
Creating an American Muslim identity that is rooted in human rights also includes “showing up” and making space for individuals who have begun to identify as progressive Muslims. This includes having a float with “live” music at the Los Angeles’ Pride and speaking at the 2021 Women’s March LA about the importance of standing up to religious figures and theocrats who are intent on diminishing Americans’ rights to bodily autonomy.
My participation at the Los Angeles Gay Men’s Chorus summer concert, opening the second act with my version of the Islamic call to prayer, not only shattered the perception that all Muslims condone homophobia but demonstrated my committed support for LGBTQIA+ as it relates to the human dignity that all of us are entitled to. Annual participation as a guest vocalist with the secular Jewish group Sholem’s Kol Nidre celebrations, speaking and singing engagement at countless Los Angeles interfaith events, including a Sunday sermon at All Saints-Pasadena, and the designing of a joint Jewish-Islamic prayer service with Temple Beth Hillel in Studio City are just some examples of how I use art and music as a form of advocacy against inclusion and non-discrimination
I also show up in countries in Sub-Saharan Africa through the initiative #ImamsForShe created in 2015. With this initiative, I work alongside feminist religious leaders who contact me, seeking partnership and assistance to advance women’s and girls’ rights in their communities. Since 2015, working in partnership with Champion Imams, there are now 3400 imams and religious leaders in the #ImamsForShe network in Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Rwanda who are committed to promoting the rights of women and girls regardless of any threat that may come their way.
My life and work speak to my conviction to human rights causes, which remains rooted in living up to my dad’s reminder to “make your life count”.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
What I’ve learned over the decades is that people are motivated to have the best for themselves and for their children but sometimes are stuck in the values and the cultures they are raised on. That is why by creating the content or by offering an alternative by example, people can see that there is a different way to look at the world. Ultimately, there is a choice: there is love and compassion, and there is hate and intolerance. Which do you choose?
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.anizonneveld.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anizonneveld/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ani.zonneveld
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ani-zonneveld/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/AniZonneveld
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@IslamicHymns
Image Credits
Personal photo: Jasmine Zonneveld photographer Credit is embedded in the photo.
