Rethinking Islam Together : A Journey of Faith, Justice, and Reform

When a Grammy-connected Malaysian songwriter lost her music to religious gatekeepers who banned female voices and forbade instrumentation, she did not walk away from Islam. She walked straight into it, through theology, human rights law, and eventually the United Nations.In this episode of WISE Women with Daisy Khan, with host Dr. Daisy Khan, singer, activist, and the founder of Muslims for Progressive Values, Ani Zonneveld traces a life built at the intersection of music, faith, and social justice. When Muslim retail stores refused to carry her album because a woman's singing voice was deemed forbidden, that rejection sent her into Islamic theology and human rights advocacy. She and Dr. Daisy Khan debates whether the word feminist belongs in Islamic spaces, why Prophet Muhammad was the original feminist, and why secular framing consistently fails communities anchored in faith identity. She closes with her hoped-for legacy: a musical theater production called Welcome to My Eid.Ani Zonneveld's work spans the UN, Africa, Afghanistan, and American living rooms, everywhere Islam is used as a political instrument and everywhere people are quietly reclaiming it for justice. Ani did not leave Islam when it was used against her. She went deeper into it, and that decision changed what progressive Muslim advocacy looks like.Listen to WISE Women with Daisy Khan because every story matters. The qualities that sustain us through difficulty often become the very gifts we offer to the world. Like, follow, and connect with Dr. Daisy Khan.#WISEWomenwithDaisyKhan #WISEWomen #MuslimWomen #MuslimFeminist #IslamicFeminism #ProgressiveIslam #WomensRights #FaithAndJustice #SocialJustice #InterfaithDialogue #ReligionVsCulture #AmericanMuslim #MuslimCulture #HumanRights #Podcast #MPVUSA #AniZonneveld #IslamicHymnsConnect with Dr. Daisy Khan:Websites:https://daisykhan.com/https://www.wisemuslimwomen.org/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009431034002Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daisykhan.nyc/Twitter: https://twitter.com/DaisyKhanFollow WISE Women with Daisy Khan:Podcast: https://wisewomenwithdaisykhan.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdaisykhan/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WISEWomenwithDaisyKhanInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/WISEwomenwithdaisykhan/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576656401275    Connect with Ani Zonneveld:Website: https://www.anizonneveld.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ani-zonneveld/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anizonneveld/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@IslamicHymnsFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ani.zonneveld/TEDx talk "Islam: as American as Apple Pie" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsedODeuAUMMuslims for Progressive Values:Website: https://www.mpvusa.org/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MPVUSAFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/mpvusaAni Zonneveld is the founder and President of Muslims for Progressive Values, an international human rights organization advocating for gender equality, freedom of expression, and inclusive Islam. Born in Malaysia, she is an award-winning songwriter, Grammy-credited producer, and author of An Unlikely Social Justice Warrior. A Council on Foreign Relations member, her TEDx talk Islam: As American As Apple Pie and ongoing UN activism position her as a leading global voice for Muslim women and reform. WISE Women with Daisy Khan Where Muslim voices rise, bridges are built, and history's unsung heroines reclaim their light.WISE Women with Daisy Khan gives voice to Muslims sharing their experiences with anti-Muslim bias, educates non-Muslims to become upstanders against discrimination, and spotlights extraordinary women throughout history whose contributions have been erased. We reclaim faith as a force for good while building bridges between East and West, transforming fear into understanding, one conversation at a time.We challenge disinformation with knowledge and empathy, confronting the weaponization of religion for political gain. This isn't just another podcast. It's a bridge between communities taught to fear each other, opening hearts and minds to build the understanding our divided world needs.Welcome to WISE Women. Where wisdom meets courage, and voices become bridges.News [Source: CBS Evening News]A man sent a hateful message to a Muslim candidate. He responded with a call for help in an article by Steve Hartmanhttps://www.cbsnews.com/news/a-man-sent-a-hateful-message-to-a-muslim-candidate-he-responded-with-a-call-to-help/