Date: Sunday, April 6, 2025
Time: 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM CT
4:00 – 5:30 pm Reception “Faith, Flavor, and Friendship”

Boarding: 12:45 PM / Depart: 1:00 PM from American Islamic College

Limited parking at 613 W. Bittersweet Place (rear of College)
Additional parking at Recreation Drive

Stops:

Return: 4:00 pm to American Islamic College

Join us on our 4th Chicago Interfaith Trolley Tour. This experiential learning opportunity presents the chance to learn about faith in practice, prayer and communal religious space, and some history of the neighborhood and its religious communities. You will get to meet people from other faith traditions and cultures and make connections with religious leaders. You will also learn about the various interfaith initiatives that these religious institutions host. This is a great way to learn more about your city and celebrate its vibrant diversity.

The Hassan Institute for Interfaith Encounter at American Islamic College, The Interreligious Institute at Chicago Theological Seminary, and A Center for Christian-Muslim Engagement for Peace and Justice at The Lutheran School of Theology will be your hosts on April 6th.

We will explore four sacred spaces in the northside neighborhoods of Chicago. The day will end with a reception, “Faith, Flavor, and Friendship” at 4 – 5 pm at American Islamic College.

A Center of Christian-Muslim Engagement for Peace and Justice at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago fosters and deepens relations between Christians and Muslims and builds bridges of mutual understanding, respect and cooperation among people of all faiths. To learn more visit www.lstc.edu

The Hassan Institute for Interfaith Encounter at American Islamic College is commited to thoughtful, respectful, and socially impactful inter-religious engagement. It is inspired by a shared belief in the value of transformative, relational, and experiential learning. www.aicusa.edu

At Chicago Theological Seminary, our mission is to educate and inspire the next generation of religious leadership. As a historically Protestant and now multifaith seminary, we are commited to racial and social justice, to gender equality and to deep interreligious engagement. www.ctschicago.edu

Date: Sunday, June 1, 2025
Time: 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM CT

Roosevelt University Schaumburg Campus – Atrium / Licht Student Center (south side of main courtyard)
1400 Roosevelt Blvd
Schaumburg, IL 60173

Book Signing from 7:00 – 7:30 PM | Copies of the book will be available for purchase.
RSVP Required

Join us for an exciting book launch celebrating India by Audrey Truschke, a magisterial history spanning five millennia of the Indian subcontinent—from the Indus Valley Civilization to the complexities of the twenty-first century. This richly textured narrative explores the region’s political, social, religious, and cultural evolution, spotlighting its astonishing diversity and the voices of women, religious minorities, and marginalized groups. The evening will feature a wide-ranging, historically informed theological conversation on contemporary Hindu-Muslim relations, with Truschke joined by two leading scholars, delving into how India’s contested past continues to shape its present and future.

Audrey Truschke is Professor of South Asian History at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey. Trained in Sanskrit and Persian, her research focuses on the cultural, imperial, and intellectual history of medieval and early modern India as well as the politics of history in modern times. She is the author of three books: Culture of Encounters: Sanskrit at the Mughal Court (Columbia University Press, 2016), Aurangzeb: The Life and Legacy of India’s Most Controversial King (Stanford University Press, 2017), and The Language of History: Sanskrit Narratives of Indo-Muslim Rule (Columbia University Press, 2021). Her most recent book, India: 5,000 Years of History on the Subcontinent, will be published by Princeton University Press in June 2025.

Anantanand Rambachan is Professor Emeritus of Religion at Saint Olaf College, Minnesota, USA (1985-2021). He was also Forum Humanum Visiting Professor at the Academy for the Study of World Religions at the University of Hamburg in Germany (2013-2017). His books include Accomplishing the Accomplished: The Vedas as a Source of Valid Knowledge in Ṡaṅkara; The Limits of Scripture: Vivekananda’s Reinterpretation of the Authority of the Vedas, The Advaita Worldview: God, World and Humanity, A Hindu Theology of Liberation: Not-Two is Not-One; Essays in Hindu Theology and Pathways to Hindu-Christian Dialogue. Prof. Rambachan has been involved in interreligious relations and dialogue for over 40 years, as a Hindu contributor and analyst. He is a Co-President of Religions for Peace.

R. David Coolidge is Research Faculty at Bayan Islamic Graduate School. He was previously the Associate University Chaplain for the Muslim Community at Brown University, the Muslim Advisor at Dartmouth College, and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Public Service at New York University. He received a PhD from the Graduate Theological Union in 2023, and an MA in Religion from Princeton University in 2008. He has served on the boards of various American Muslim nonprofit organizations, including Zaytuna College, Taleef Collective, and Al-Kisa Foundation. As a preacher, he has given hundreds of sermons/talks and led prayers in dozens of Sunnī and Shīʿī masjids around the country. R. David Coolidge has produced numerous academic publications, as well as books and articles of relevance to the wider American Muslim community.

Mahan Mirza is the visiting Vice President for Academic Affairs at American Islamic College for the 2024 – 2025 year. He is also the Executive Director of the Ansari Institute for Global Engagement with Religion at the University of Notre Dame and a teaching Professor of Islam & Science in the Keough School of Global Affairs. Mirza holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from University of Texas Austin, MA from Hartford Seminary in Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations, and PhD in Religious Studies from Yale University. Dr. Mirza has edited two special issues of The Muslim World and served as assistant editor of the Princeton Encyclopaedia of Islamic Political Thought.

Timothy J. Gianotti is the President of American Islamic College and a scholar of classical Islamic theology, philosophy, and spirituality with strong interests in Islamic Psychology, Moral Theology, Ethics, Political Thought, comparative religion and spirituality, and interfaith relations; more specifically, he is a scholar of Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (d.1111), one of the most important religious thinkers of the classical period. Dr. Gianotti is also recognized as a Muslim theologian, pastoral leader, and committed interfaith advocate with extensive experience promoting interfaith engagement around the globe. Dr.Gianotti is the author of Al-Ghazali’s Unspeakable Doctrine of the Soul (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 2001) and In the Light of a Blessed Tree: Illuminations of Islamic Belief, Practice, and History (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2011).

Sponsors:

Ansari Institute for Global Engagement with Religion at University of Notre Dame
American Islamic College
Roosevelt University

Indonesia, with a population of approximately 280 million people, is the largest Muslim-majority country in the world, comprising around 11-12% of the global Muslim population. It is also the largest democracy among Muslim nations, known for its stability and peaceful coexistence. Indonesia is a nation of remarkable diversity, with hundreds of languages, ethnic groups, and beliefs coexisting across its vast archipelago.

Despite this diversity, Indonesia has managed to create a harmonious society, emphasizing moderation, tolerance, and respect for diversity. Central to this model are pesantren, Islamic boarding schools that serve as both centers of religious learning and community development. These institutions teach not only classical Islamic texts but also contemporary knowledge, equipping students to address modern societal challenges while maintaining their faith. Furthermore, pesantren play a key role in promoting peace by facilitating interfaith dialogue, mediating conflicts, and contributing to social cohesion.

Through this distinctive approach, Indonesia demonstrates how Islam can adapt to a diverse cultural landscape, fostering peace and inclusivity while staying true to its core principles. Pesantren, as both educational institutions and community centers, continue to play a vital role in nurturing interfaith harmony and promoting a peaceful society in Indonesia, which is recognized as one of the most peaceful and stable Muslim-majority democracies in the world.

Date: Tuesday, December 10, 2024
Time: 6:00 PM Light Reception | 6:30 PM Talk – Central Time (Chicago)
Venue: American Islamic College, Livestream available – must register for link

Registration:
Free, registration required.

American Islamic College’s Hassan Institute for Interfaith Encounter and the Chicago History Museum invite you to a celebration of two intertwined Chicago Muslim stories: Dr. Shakeela Hassan and the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, two lives that became forever connected after their first encounter in the summer of 1956 in Chicago. Please come for a rich program to commemorate the transfer of stewardship of the Honourable Elijah Muhammad’s “Starry Crown” from Dr. Shakeela’s keeping to the Chicago History Museum, where it will be safeguarded, treasured, and displayed for generations to come.

Date: Saturday, October 7, 2023
Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Venue: American Islamic College – Auditorium
Parking: Limited parking on-site/street parking on Irving Park Rd.

Free & Open to the Public; Registration Required

Register here, or use widget below

Hassan Institute Book Donation
Livestream Link

Ceremonial procession and light refreshments to follow

American Islamic College’s Hassan Institute for Interfaith Encounter and the Chicago History Museum invite you to commemorate two intertwined Chicago Muslim stories that have made an enduring impact on Chicago’s Muslim community and the city as a whole.

On this special occasion, being the birthday of the Honourable Elijah Muhammad and the slightly belated birthday of Dr. Shakeela Hassan, who’s birthday is just one day before, we honor the deep relationship between the Muhammad and Hassan families in the artifact that has come to be known as the “Starry Crown.”

The iconic image of Honourable Elijah Muhammad adorning a velvet cap with quintessential Islamic moon and star imagery became a standard feature starting in 1961, when he first wore the “fez” designed by Dr. Shakeela Hassan at the Chicago International Amphitheater. Their story begins when she met her future husband, Dr. Mohamed Zia Hassan, after her arrival from Hyderabad, British India, in July 1956. She had come to Chicago for her post-graduate medical training at Northwestern University. Dr. Zia Hassan, a graduate student at the time, immediately introduced her to the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and his wife, Sister Clara Muhammad, in the third week of August 1956. It did not take long for Dr. Shakeela to consider “brother” Elijah, “sister” Clara, and their family her family.

In 1960, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad remarked that he wanted to enliven his wardrobe. Dr. Shakeela recalled saying “I am thinking about a cap for you.” She sketched a Fez design that included a crescent and star motif inspired by the flags of Pakistan and Turkey and patterns of Islamic art and architecture. Dr. Shakeela then bought the fabric from Marshall Field & Co.’s flagship store in Chicago, sketched a prototype design, and sent it to Lahore, Pakistan, to be sewn on luxurious silky velvet with zari embroidery. Zari is the intricate art of weaving gold and silver metallic threads by hand in South Asian dress. Sometimes calling Dr. Shakeela’s gift a “Starry Crown,” the Honourable Elijah Muhammad frequently appeared wearing the fez ever after, making the Starry Crown a symbol of the leader of the Nation of Islam.

Join us as we celebrate this incredible Chicago story.

Chicago History Museum: CHM’s mission—to serve as the primary destination for learning, inspiration, and civic engagement to connect people to Chicago’s history and each other—is the foundation of the Museum’s programs and events, exhibitions, educational initiatives, publications, and collecting activities that touch the lives of all Chicagoans.

The Hassan Institute serves and enables meaningful, life-changing inter and intra-religious encounters across the city of Chicago and beyond. The scope of the Hassan Institute’s vision and activism includes public programs all for the promotion of transformative encounters between diverse believers and faith communities.

Date: Sunday, April 2, 2023
Time: 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM CT

Back by popular demand, American Islamic College’s Hassan Institute for Interfaith Encounter, The Lutheran School of Theology’s A Center for Christian-Muslim Engagement for Peace and Justice, Chicago Theological Seminary’s Interreligious Institute, and The Niagara Foundation are collaborating to host another tour of Chicago-area religious sites. This April 2nd, we will venture to the north of Chicago and visit the first Black church of Evanston, Second Baptist, a social justice and interfaith-centered synagogue, Sukkat Shalom, the beautiful Bahai Temple of North America, and more. Conclude the tour over a shared meal and conversation as we open fast with our Muslim sisters and Brothers with an “Iftar.” Mark your calendar and stay tuned for details.

Take a look at this video highlighting the first Chicago Interfaith Trolley Tour.

Chicago Interfaith Trolley Tour in the News!

Associated Press
Religion News
Washington Post
Associated Press
WBEZ
CBS
Chicago Sun-Times
Desert News

Modeled after one of Dr. Gianotti’s community programs in Canada, AIC’s “Light Upon Light” evenings of spiritual discussion and fellowship feature a variety of spiritually nourishing (sometimes challenging) subjects in an inclusive space where participants of all ages and faiths actively contribute in a manner that is respectful to all. In these gatherings, we frequently interweave textual study and facilitated discussion in an effort to deepen ourselves and promote a sense of spiritual fellowship across denominational and religious boundaries.

March topic: Probing the Practice of Fasting

In-person only

Date: Friday, March 17, 2023
Time: 7:30 PM CT
Venue: American Islamic College Library

President Gianotti interviews a special guest each month to discuss the formative encounters of their lives.

March special guest: Scott C. Alexander

Professor of Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations
Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program
at Catholic Theological Union

In-person and Live-streamed

Date: Friday, March 17, 2023
Time: 11:00 AM CT
Venue: American Islamic College Library
Livestream: Register to Receive Link

President Gianotti interviews a special guest each month to discuss the formative encounters of their lives.

February special guest: Dr. Clyde El-Amin

Former president of Kennedy-King & Olive Harvey city colleges (Chicago), current member of IMAN’s Executive Committee, and current organizational and development consultant.

In-person and Live-streamed

Date: Friday, February 17, 2023
Time: 11:00 AM CT
Venue: American Islamic College Library
Livestream: Zoom

Modeled after one of Dr. Gianotti’s community programs in Canada, AIC’s “Light Upon Light” evenings of spiritual discussion and fellowship feature a variety of spiritually nourishing (sometimes challenging) subjects in an inclusive space where participants of all ages and faiths actively contribute in a manner that is respectful to all. In these gatherings, we frequently interweave textual study and facilitated discussion in an effort to deepen ourselves and promote a sense of spiritual fellowship across denominational and religious boundaries.

February topic: Spiritual Chivalry. We will explore martial language and imagery within our faith traditions as well as the interconnectedness of religion and the martial arts.

In-person only

Date: Friday, February 17, 2023
Time: 7:30 PM CT
Venue: American Islamic College Library