Advisory Council
22 January 2009
Our Advisory Council provides advice and assistance to the staff and board of directors of MPV, and consists of several prominent scholars, writers, and activists.
Zainah Anwar (July 2008 - July 2011)
Zainah Anwar is a prominent Malaysian non-governmental organisation leader and activist. She was the head of Sisters in Islam (SIS) for two decades. Ms. Anwar currently serves as project director for the SIS-initiated global movement for justice and equality in the Muslim family (MUSAWAH) and is on the board of directors for SIS. Ms. Anwar received a postgraduate degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, and is a former member of Malaysia’s Human Rights Commission. She has been profiled in the International Herald Tribune and on the PBS news show, Frontline.
Ms. Anwar’s book, Islamic Revivalism in Malaysia: Dakwah among the Students (Pelanduk, 1987), continues to be cited for its insights into modern-day Islam in Malaysia, and she is a frequent contributor to the editorial pages of Malaysia’s main newspaper, the New Straits Times. Her recent editorials cover such topics as freedom of the press, the underachievement of boys in Malaysian schools, compassion and pluralism in Islam, freedom of religion in the Arab world, and Malaysia’s gender gap in politics and the economy.
Sisters in Islam (SIS) is a Malaysian non-governmental organization founded in 1988 that is committed to upholding the principles of justice and human rights for women within the framework of Islam. Their program highlights provision of legal services, public education, outreach and advocacy to promote legal reform and protect the rights of women. SIS has published a number of publications concerning women, Islam and the law, including the following titles: Are Muslim Men Allowed to Beat Their Wives?, Islam and Family Planning, and Hadith on Women in Marriage. They have also conducted research on the impact of polygamy on the family, have developed draft legislation on Islamic Family Law, and maintain an active media presence in Malaysia to combat movements by government officials and religious authorities to restrict the rights of women at home and in society.
Saleemah Abdul Ghaffar (March 2009 - March 2012)
Saleemah Abdul-Ghafur is part of a national movement to end gender discrimination in the American Muslim community by participating in a civil action to give women space and voice in American mosques where they have traditionally been banned. In addition to working to establish women as prayer leaders and co-organizing a historic woman-led prayer in New York City, Abdul-Ghafur edited LIVING ISLAM OUT LOUD: American Muslim Women Speak, the first anthology collecting the voices of American Muslim women. The book presents American Muslim women dealing with the complexities of forging their own identities while contributing powerfully to public life. She is a graduate of Columbia University.
Amir Hussein (May 2009 - May 2012)
Dr. Amir Hussain is Associate Professor in the Department of Theological Studies at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, where he teaches courses on world religions. His own particular speciality is the study of Islam, focusing on contemporary Muslim societies in North America. Although born in Pakistan, Amir immigrated to Canada with his family when he was four. His academic degrees (BSc, MA, PhD) are all from the University of Toronto where he received a number of awards, including the university’s highest award for alumni service. Amir’s PhD dissertation was on Muslim communities in Toronto. In 2008, Amir was chosen by vote of LMU students as the Professor of the Year. Amir’s new book is an introduction to Islam for North Americans entitled Oil and Water: Two Faiths, One God (Kelowna: Copper House, 2006). He is currently working on a scholarly book on Islam in Canada entitled Canadian Faces of Islam; and a textbook entitled Muslims: Islam in the West in the 21st Century.
Pamela Taylor (July 2008 - July 2011)
Pamela Taylor is co-founder of MPV, a multi-genre writer, and a free-lance editor. She is the Director of the Islamic Writers Alliance and a member of the advisory board of the Network of Spiritual Progressives. She is also member of the National Writers Union, the Muslim American Journalists Association, and the American Civil Liberties Union.
Pamela's poetry has won several international awards, and her columns have been published in national newspapers such as the Dallas Morning News, the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the St. Paul Pioneer Press; and in Muslim media such as Muslim WakeUp!, The American Muslim, and Naseeb Vibes. Pamela is also a contributor to the Newsweek-Washington Post On Faith panel.
Pamela speaks on Islam, progressive values, and women, and has given lectures at many universities and conferences. She received a Master of Theological Studies with a concentration in Islamic Studies from Harvard Divinity School.
Vanessa Karam (March 2010-March 2013)
Vanessa Karam – Professor of English and Islamic Studies at the University of the West in Los Angeles, CA.
