Muslims for Progressive Values founder, Ani Zonneveld, announces the release of her memoir, An Unlikely Social Justice Warrior: Making My Life Count As a Muslim Feminist, published on the 29th of July, 2025. The book is a compelling exploration of her life's journey across music, activism, and faith, and a call to action for those seeking tangible solutions to tackle patriarchy and misogyny within Muslim societies and beyond.
Zonneveld was born and raised Muslim in Malaysia and across Germany, Egypt, and India as the daughter of an ambassador. Zonneveld's story is one of crossing boundaries, cultural, religious, and personal. In her memoir, she reflects on how her formative years, including a defining childhood moment when she defied social barriers to play soccer with a Dalit boy in India, instilled in her a lifelong commitment to justice. This is just one example of many. "I don't have to be a Hindu or a Dalit to be defending their rights," she states. "I just need to be a human being."
