Date: Thursday, December 8, 2016
Time: 6pm Reception; 6:30pm Talk
Where: Conference Hall, Main Bldg, American Islamic College

On Thursday, December 8th, Daoud Stephen Casewit, President of American Islamic College, presented a thorough account of historical Madinah in the age of the Prophet (pbuh). President Casewit brought aspects of the Prophet’s Sirah (pbuh) to life through detailed descriptions, photographs, and maps, which articulated architectural and archaeological facts about the “Prophet’s City.” President Casewit is a leading expert in the sacred history of Madinah.

Daoud Stephen Casewit was appointed President of the American Islamic College in Chicago on August 1, 2016. He came to Chicago from Washington, DC where he was an independent scholar, writer, translator and lecturer for several years. Casewit spent most of his previous professional life in the Arab World, including nearly a quarter century in Morocco where he managed the Moroccan-American Fulbright Commission (1996-2009) and directed the Arabic Language Institute in Fez (1991-1996). From 1984-1988, while serving as a university instructor of English and linguistics in Madinah, he developed an intimate acquaintance with the history and geography of the Prophet’s City. He has published a number of academic papers and delivered a range of guest lectures on related topics. He prepared the appendix of historical maps for the HarperCollins Study Quran (2015). He holds a Masters degree in linguistics from the American University in Cairo.

On Tuesday, November 15, American Islamic College welcomed students from Northwestern University’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute for an interfaith dialogue luncheon. President Daoud Casewit welcomed the group and introduced the College – its history, mission, and degree programs.

Along with President Casewit, Jawad Qureshi, Asst. Professor of Arabic & Islamic Studies at AIC, led the group in discussions about Islam and Muslims related to early Islamic history, Islam and Muslims in America, as well as, contemporary socio-political issues in the Muslim world.

Dr. Kathleen O’Brien, Vice President of Academic Affairs at AIC joined the dialogue. It was a great opportunity for the students to engage in thoughtful conversation over a shared meal. We wish the students much success in their studies and welcome further discussion and engagement.

Date: Thursday, November 10, 2016
Time: 6pm Reception; 6:30pm Talk
Where: Conference Hall, Main Bldg, American Islamic College

Yvonne Maffei, MA is a graduate of International Studies & Spanish from Ohio University. She has grown up with a real passion for cooking and writing, setting out to make a career out of combining the two. After years of being a language teacher, she moved her teaching platform from the classroom to the internet by writing about halal food and cooking for a global audience. Today Yvonne publishes MyHalalKitchen.com, gives cooking classes, lectures about halal cooking and healthy eating, and consults schools on how to source healthy, halal ingredients and prepare fresh new ideas for school lunches. She has written the cookbook, Summer Ramadan Cooking to teach about the food rituals of the holy month as well as the global diversity of halal recipes. Yvonne’s second cookbook, My Halal Kitchen: Global Recipes, Cooking Tips, Lifestyle Inspiration, will be published in July 2016. It aims to teach the basics of halal cooking and baking, and showcase classic American, French, Italian and Latin recipes made with all natural halal substitutes.

Date: Monday, October 3, 2016
Time: 6pm Reception; 6:30pm Talk
Where: Conference Hall, Main Bldg, American Islamic College

American Islamic College welcomed Dr. Janet Miller, a counseling psychologist who researches first-year college students’ experiences regarding stress and resilience in order to understand student success, retention, and career development.

Dr. Janet Miller is a counseling psychologist with expertise in mental health and personal development. In addition to her 18+ years at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta, Canada (as a counselor, Chair of the Student Counselling department and Associate Professor), she is an Adjunct Professor with the University of Calgary, a certified trainer with the Centre for Suicide Prevention (ASIST workshop), and she offers a small private counseling practice in the heart of Calgary. Her research has included tracking cohorts of first-year students through their educational experiences in an effort to understand the factors that help us to thrive and succeed (in and out of school). This work has led to a better understanding of emotional intelligence, career development and the importance of managing stress in our daily lives.

On Sunday, July 31st, American Islamic College held its First Annual Imams and Muslim Chaplains Workshop. The workshop was entitled, “Addressing the Current State of Muslim Leadership, Spiritual Care and Education in the US.” We had a dynamic group of panelists speaking on a variety of important issues, e.g. the role of a chaplain, sexual harassment, racism, violence, women’s leadership, prison chaplaincy, faith advisors in universities, etc. Poignant questions and topics were raised which ignited thoughtful discussions among the participants.

Date: Sunday, July 31, 2016
Time: 8:30am – 4:00pm
Where: Conference Hall, Main Bldg, American Islamic College

There are a number of important issues plaguing our communities in Chicago and in the US. This symposium is a gathering of Muslim chaplains and Imams to learn from each other about the pressing issues of today. The program includes panel presentations and interactive discussions. Breakfast and lunch are included.

Ahmed Rehab
Ahmed Rehab is the Executive Director of CAIR-Chicago. Rehab is a regular contributor to the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Public Radio. He has been interviewed hundreds of times by newspapers, radio, and TV venues, both national and international. Rehab lectures at various University campuses in Chicago and around the nation. Rehab is the founder of MyJihad Inc., a global PR and outreach campaign that seeks to take back Islam from Muslim and Anti-Muslims extremists alike. He is also the founder of theChicagoMonitor.com, The Muslim Youth Leadership Symposium, and the Co-founder of the Bridge Initiative at Georgetown University. Prior to joining CAIR in August of 2004, Rehab was a freelance speaker, writer, and activist in the fields of interfaith collaboration, education, and community outreach. Rehab serves as a board member of the Illinois Coalition of Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR). He also served on IL. Governor Pat Quinn’s Muslim Advisory Council, and as vice-chairman of RegugeeONE, Illinois’ premiere refugee resettlement organization. He served as a member of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs’ (CCGA) Muslim task force, an Eisenhower fellow of the American Assembly, and is alumnus of the FBI Citizen’s Academy.

Azam Nizamuddin
Azam Nizamuddin is General Counsel and Deputy Executive Director of the North American Islamic Trust. He is also Adjunct Professor in the Department of Theology at Loyola University of Chicago where he teaches courses on Islamic thought and history. Mr. Nizamuddin is also President of Muslim Bar Association.

Mr. Nizamuddin has lectured extensively on Islamic theology and law, and on Islamic civilization to churches, synagogues, civic organizations, and federal agencies across the country. Furthermore, Mr. Nizamuddin has attended academic conferences in Denmark, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Jordan, and Turkey on East-West relations, and inter-religious dialogue.

Frederick Thaufeer Al-Deen
Post graduate studies Political Science, Public Administration . Former host Radio Islam. Co-Author: Questions of Faith for Muslim Inmates. Appeared in PBS documentary on Homegrown Muslims. Contributed several chapters to edited texts. Former Director of Rehab Programs for the Oklahoma DOC. Former Federal BOP Chaplain. Criminal Justice Planner III, LEAA Okla. Married with two kids.

Omer Mozaffar
Omer is a Muslim Chaplain. He addresses theological, personal, social matters for students of all sectarian outlooks. During the school year, he also runs classes on Scripture, Student Life, and other matters.

He has received Islamic studies training both through traditional and academic sources. He has been an Adjunct Professor in the Departments of Theology and Modern Languages and Literatures. He has taught at the University of Chicago and DePaul University, among other schools. He has taught courses on the Qur’an, the Sira, the Hadith, Islamic Law, Spirituality/Purification, Islamic revivalism, Islam and Politics, Sectarianism, al-Ghazali, Rumi, Iqbal, Arabic, Film, and Comparative religions. In 2011, he was granted an “Excellence in Teaching Award in Humanities, Arts, and Sciences” through the University of Chicago’s Graham School. For over two decades he has been giving sermons and leading classes at Islamic centers all across Chicagoland. In 2009, the late film critic Roger Ebert named Omer one of his “Far Flung Correspondents.” Omer has been writing film essays for RogerEbert.com.

Tahera Ahmad
Tahera Ahmad is an associate chaplain and faculty fellow at Northwestern University. She has certification in Arabic and Ijazaat in Tajweed (The Art of Quranic recitation), she studied traditional Islamic studies at Al-Diwan/Al-Azhar in Cairo and in the Christian-Muslim Relations and Women’s Leadership Institute at Hartford Seminary. Previously she served as the Muslim Chaplain at Mt. Holyoke College, and as the Department Head of Islamic Studies at one of the largest Muslim Schools in the nation, Islamic Foundation School in Villa Park. Ahmad has served on the board of prominent Muslim organizations including the Muslim Community Center of Chicago.

Tahir Abdullah
Tahir Abdullah works within the office of Spiritual Life at the University of Chicago which is part of the university’s broad network of student services. As the Assistant Director of Spiritual Life, he encourages student involvement in organizations, programs and initiatives related to spiritual and religious life on campus. In particular, he serves as Advisor for Muslim Affairs, holding office hours, organizing educational events, and addressing the religious and other needs of the campus Muslim community. He also serves as a campus resource with regard to Islam’s social and religious history, current affairs, and interfaith partnerships.

Tariq I. El-Amin
Imam Tariq I. El-Amin, is dedicated to addressing the concerns of underserved communities within the Chicagoland area, giving special attention to youth development. Tariq is the Resident Imam of Masjid Al-Taqwa, a contributing writer for the Muslim Journal, and served as a member of former Illinois Governor Pat Quinn’s Muslim Advisory Council. He is also the past Convener of the Chicagoland Shura Council, and Director of the Society of United Neighbors (S.U.N.), and Executive Director & Founder of Bridging The Gap, Inc– a non for profit organization dedicated to community empowerment through Service, Mentoring & Education.

American Islamic College held its First Annual Chaplaincy Workshop for Non-Muslim Chaplains serving in multi-faith settings, such as hospitals, military, schools, and prisons. After a delicious breakfast, President Dr. Ali Yurtsever gave encouraging introductory remarks to launch the program. Jawad Qureshi, AIC’s Professor of Arabic and Islamic studies, followed with an introductory survey of Islam.

AIC’s adjunct of Psychology, Hooman Keshavarzi, then gave a presentation that covered the scenarios related to counseling and pastoral care to patients with mental health. In doing so, he covered topics, such as suffering and death in Islam. Saleha Jabeen, a Healthcare Specialist in the US Army Reserves, offered anecdotes and her personal journey in interfaith studies and dialogue as a foundation for her current role and interests. She mentioned the importance of communication and open dialogue as a way to break the ice and build a bridge. “Just ask,” she said, when talking about religious and cultural sensitivities present in working with patients.

After lunch, Sheikh Kifah Mustapha spoke on “End of Life and Funeral Proceedings.” His talk was thorough, and he covered a number of interesting topics, such as, organ transplants, abortion, vegetative states, suicide, etc. He concluded his talk with funeral preparations and the Islamic perspective on burial and wakes.

To conclude, Imam Khalid Bilal, a chaplain in the Cook County jail, discussed the difficulties present in securing accommodations for Muslim inmates. He offered tips on how to provide support and resources for those in jail and for those released.

The workshop provided an in-depth sharing of Islam, presented nuances in perspectives within Muslim observances, raised theological questions related to suffering, sickness, and death, and discussed some practical applications for interactions between chaplains and their Muslim constituents.

Date: Saturday, July 30, 2016
Time: 8:30am – 5:00pm
Where: Conference Hall, Main Bldg, American Islamic College

There are a number of chaplaincy sites that serve multi-faith contexts, like hospitals, schools, prisons, and the military. There are many Christian and Jewish clergy and/or practitioners who serve in chaplaincy roles that find themselves attending to the needs of one who identifies as Muslim. Thus, this cultural and religious sensitivity training is offered to all chaplains working in a multi-faith setting who could benefit from some training and resources related to Islam.

Jawad Anwar Qureshi is assistant professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies at the American Islamic College. He is a doctoral candidate in Islamic Studies at the University of Chicago’s Divinity School. His qualifying exams were in Qur’anic studies, Sufi literature, Islamic revival and reform, and contemporary theories for the study of religion. His dissertation explores debates amongst 20th century Syrian ‘ulama on issues related to law, ethics, tradition, and politics, focusing on the exchanges between Syria’s most prominent religious scholar in the last half of the 20th century–Said Ramadan al-Bouti (1924-2013), rahimahu Allah–and his interlocutors. Jawad also has degrees in religion from the University of Missouri-Columbia (BA) and the University of Georgia-Athens (MA).

His training in the academic study of religion is complemented by years of sustained traditional Islamic studies in America and abroad. In Syria, he studied a variety of Islamic sciences privately under ‘ulama in Damascus and Aleppo for four years, covering theology, jurisprudence, legal theory, Sufism, hadith nomenclature, hadith, and Qur’anic exegesis, among other sciences.

Jawad’s research interests pertain to the Islamic intellectual tradition, the ways in which it is constituted, contested, and developed, and the ways in which it intersects with public life. He has contributed a chapter to State and Islam in Baathist Syria: Confrontation or Co-Optation? (Scotland: University of St. Andrews Centre for Syrian Studies, 2012), titled: “The Discourses of Damascene Sunni Ulama during the 2011 Revolution.” He has also contributed entries to The Oxford Encyclopedia of Islamic Law and The Oxford Encyclopedia of Islam and Politics. He is also preparing a critical edition and study of a number of kalam and Sufi texts by the Ottoman Damascene scholar ‘Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulusi (d. 1731).

Jawad is a Fulbright and Fulbright-Hayes (DDRA) awardee.

At AIC, Jawad teaches courses on Qur’anic and classical Arabic, Qur’anic studies, Sufism, Muslim revival and reform, as well as methods and theories in the study of religion.

Hooman Keshavarzi is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, holds a Masters of Clinical Psychology and a Bachelors of Science – specialist psychology track/minor in Islamic Studies. He is currently an Adjunct Professor of Psychology at Argosy University Chicago, American Islamic College, Hartford Seminary, instructor of psychology at Islamic Online University and founder/director of Khalil Center – a community spiritual & mental wellness center. He is also a fellow at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding at the Global Health Center, conducting research on topics related to Muslims and Mental Health. Hooman Keshavarzi is a national public speaker and trainer currently serving as a Clinical supervisor of graduate students of clinical psychology at the Village of Hoffman Estates (DHS). He also delivers seminars on specialized topics around multiculturalism and psychology.

Sheikh Kifah Mustapha is the Imam and Director of The Prayer Center of Orland park. He is the appointed representative for the Ministry of Religious Affairs in Lebanon (Darul Fatwa) on behalf of the Lebanese Community in the USA. Sheikh Kifah Mustapha serves as the chairman of the Illinois Council of Imams and Scholars and the chairman of the Quran Institute of Chicago MAS. He also served as a member on the Advisory Boards of The Mission and Spiritual Care for Advocate Health Group in Illinois, the Council for the Center for Faith and Community Health Transformation, and the American Islamic College in Chicago. Sheikh Kifah Mustapha is a recipient of the CAIR-Chicago Mobilizer Award, Arab American Business & Professional Association’s Outstanding Leadership Award and the Lincoln Land Legends’ Scholars for Dollars Award. He is an experienced public speaker and an active participant in interfaith relations. Sh. Kifah has a bachelor in Sharia from American Islamic University in VA, USA, a diploma of Sharia (Master’s Program) from Beirut Islamic University (Azhar Beirut) in Beirut Lebanon, and a diploma of Islamic Studies (Master’s Program) from Global Theological Foundation in IN, USA.

Saleha Jabeen is a native of India and has lived in Chicago, Illinois since 2005. Saleha received her Bachelor of Arts in Business and Economics at North Park University and a Masters in Theology (Interreligious Dialogue) at Catholic Theological Union, Chicago.

Saleha serves on the board of MyJihad, Inc., a public education campaign launched in Fall 2012 “taking back the word” and combatting Islamophobia. Saleha has also served as an interfaith chaplain intern at Northwestern University, Evanston. Earlier this year Saleha has joined the U. S. Army Reserves to serve as a Healthcare Specialist. Continuing on with her education Saleha Jabeen is pursuing M. A. in Counseling Psychology at Trinity Christian College, Palos Heights. For future endeavors, Saleha hopes to serve the human community as a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor.

Saleha Jabeen enjoys cultural religious and diversity, for food and friendship. She currently resides in Skokie, Illinois.

Chaplain Khalid Bilal has been a volunteer prison chaplain for over twenty years. He is a paralegal and BS legal student supplementing classes at Wilbur Wright College and currently doing his internship at Chicago Advocate Legal, a non- for-profit low cost legal clinic. Furthermore, Chaplain Khalid was a property manager at Heartland Alliance, a non-profit that seeks to end poverty by working in housing, healthcare, jobs and justice and currently an active volunteer with the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.

On Thursday, July 14th Shadab Hashmi shared her poetry with the diverse audience of clergy, academics, students, and members of the public community. Her powerful words of protest oppression, division, and injustice shed insight into life as a Muslim woman growing up in Peshawar, as well as her immigrant experience in the US.

She also shared words of hope and beauty in her poetry on fruitful interfaith relations as a mark of societal success, technological advancement, academic scholarship, peacemaking, etc. As marked by the “Convivencia” in Al-Andalus, or “Muslim” Spain.

It was a wonderful event with a poetry reading, a dramatic reading with attendees, and talk about the composition of poetry, and the role that poetry plays for the writer and reader.

Date: Thursday, July 14, 2016
Time: 6:00pm Reception; 6:30pm Talk
Where: Conference Hall, Main Bldg, American Islamic College

Shadab Zeest Hashmi’s Baker of Tarifa, a book based on the history of interfaith tolerance in Al Andulus (Muslim Spain), won the 2011 San Diego Book Award for poetry. She will read poems that offer perspectives on conflict, coexistence and identity in the story of Al Andulus and Pakistan. In her book Baker of Tarifa, she revisits Muslim Spain (711-1492), tracing the history of interfaith tolerance in this legendary civilization through poems featuring historical and imaginary figures.

Her new collection, Kohl & Chalk, delves into questions of identity, as she explores Pakistan’s colonial history, the ravages of the Soviet war in Afghanistan— which she observed as a child growing up in Peshawar— and the post 9/11 wars during which she has been raising her own children.

Shadab Zeest Hashmi has recently presented from Baker of Tarifa, her poetry based on the history of Muslim Spain (or Al Andulus) in Spain and Mexico, and her essays and poetry based on the Urdu forms of ghazal and qasida in Turkey, Pakistan and the UK. Her essays can be found in 3 Quarks Daily and elsewhere online.

AIC invites all Muslims to attend Eid Prayer at AIC, Wednesday, July 6th, 7 am. The prayer will be held at AIC’s masjid on the second floor in the Dormitory Building.

Date: Wednesday, July 6, 2016
Time: 7:00am
Where: Masjid, Dormitory Bdg, American Islamic College

On Friday, June 24, AIC welcomed students from Loyola University’s Women & Religion summer class. Women in Islam was part of the course, and so, the class visited the College where they met with the AIC administration, and Hind Makki, founder of Side Entrance to discuss the topic in more depth.

Makki did an excellent job traversing through the complexities in discussing women, gender, and Islam by presenting the nuances, honestly, and the contextual backgrounds from which diverse responses regarding identity, politics, culture, religion, feminism, etc. arise.

Students raised important questions about the headscarf, visibility, leadership in Islam, and Islamophobia.

A tour of the AIC Masjid followed where questions about the basic layout of the prayer service and space were answered.

Thank you to Hind Makki for a thorough presentation and thank you to Dr. Aana Vigen, Loyola professor of Christian Social Ethics, for coordinating the dialogue.