March 19, 2021

As-salaamu ‘alaykum:

This past Tuesday, as we were hosting a panel on Gendered Islamophobia here at the American Islamic College, news began to surface of a vicious, murderous, misogynistic, racist attack on Asian women in Atlanta. Now, as the U.S. House of Representatives holds its first hearings on anti-Asian discrimination in three decades, we at the American Islamic College join our sisters and brothers worldwide in praying for the victims – the murdered, wounded, and forever traumatized survivors – and we raise our collective voice to condemn these criminal acts and the ideologies of misogyny and anti-Asian racism that inspired them.

The faculty, staff, and students of AIC stand committed to diversity, equity, and the inclusion of all individuals, genders, groups, races, and faiths, and so we stand against the bigotry, supremacism, misogyny, and violence that plagues our nation and our world. This is truly a pandemic of another kind, a sickness that afflicts our souls and infects the systems in which we live. The Qur’an teaches us that the unjust killing of a single soul is tantamount to killing all of humankind, and so we mourn these victims and embrace their families as our own. More, we pledge to make their lives matter by working harder to transform our nation and our world in our commitment to the dignity and sanctity of every life, in our commitment to love, to mercy, to justice, and to pathways of peace.

Timothy J. Gianotti, Ph.D.
President

Dr. Shabana Mir contributed a chapter to The Routledge Handbook of Islam and Gender, titled “French Muslim women’s clothes: the secular state’s religious war against racialized women.” The Handbook is an educational reference that responds to political scrutiny of Islam and Muslims, which often centers on gendered concerns.

Dr. Mir also spoke on the important topic of “Islam, Race, & COVID-19: A Conversation” hosted by Boston University. The conversation was moderated by Dr. Kecia Ali. Panelists included, Dr. Kameelah Rashad and Dr. Donna Auston.

Linda Maryam Millan is an AIC Senior finishing her Civic Engagement Internship this semester at the Center for Changing Lives (CCL) in Chicago. CCL is a Financial Opportunity Center. It offers financially focused services to individuals and families who may be currently experiencing homelessness, housing or financial hardship, or in need of self improvement goals in any of those areas. CCL works with clients through financial, employment, and resource development to advance the skills and capacities needed to achieve their life’s vision. Linda works as an Outreach and Community Engagement Coordinator using her project and program management talents and bilingual skills in Spanish and English for new member orientation and for managing volunteers on the Chicago Connect program (a free Internet plan for qualifying Chicago Public School families). As part of her internship, she has already worked on process improvements to the new member intake process. CCL is unique in its approach. It believes that everybody is resourceful, creative and whole. The coaches are there for support and to provide tools for members to self-actualize and achieve their personal goals.

“I want to uplift Linda Maryam Millan, who is extremely thoughtful, diligent, and brings her passion for community service, as a non-profit employee, to her study of Sociology, always seeking practical applications for her theoretical knowledge.” -Dr. Shabana Mir

“Muhammet’s contributions in class are insightful. He presents critical questions in class, which reflect his dedication to his studies. Muhammet has a great sense of humor and is a joy to teach. I expect great things from Muhammet!”

– Dr. Carly Anger

Prof. Feryal Salem has been quite busy the past several months completing a number of articles and book chapters that are currently in press. She is also scheduled to present at two academic conferences this year. Prof. Salem contributed a chapter to the Routledge Handbook on Islam and Gender titled, “The Emergence of Women’s Scholarship in Damascus During the Late Twentieth Century.” She has also submitted an article to Brill’s Journal of Islamic Ethics titled, “Tashkopruzade’s Commentary on the Ethical Philosophy of Adud al-Din al-Iji.” This is scheduled to be published early next year in a special issue on Islamic Ethics and Spirituality.

Dr. Salem completed another book chapter over the summer titled “ʿAḍud al-Dīn Ījī’s al-Akhlāq al-ʿAḍudiyya and Some Notes on its Commentaries,” set to print in a compendium on Islamic Philosophy and Ethics edited by Mohammed Rustom, Bilal Orfali, and Atif Khalil and published by the American University of Beirut Press with an expected publication date of January 2021. Prof. Salem also has an article in press titled, “The Challenges and Opportunities in Training Muslim Chaplaincy Students for a Burgeoning New Field,” for a special issue of the Journal of Pastoral Theology on chaplaincy with contributors from all over the country.

Additionally, Prof. Salem is scheduled to present a paper titled “Philosophy and Mysticism in the Ethics of Adud al-Din al-Iji,” at the annual 2020 Middle Eastern Studies Association conference. She will also be presenting a paper titled, “Decolonizing Christian-Muslim Relations: Historical Frameworks, Premises, and Power Dynamics,” for the 2020 American Academy of Religion annual conference. Finally, Prof. Salem is continuing to lead in a partnership between AIC and the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago by co-teaching a class with LSTC professor, Dr. Mark Swanson for a second year. This year they are teaching a joint AIC-LSTC course titled, “Themes in Christian-Muslim Theology,” with a total of sixteen Christian and Muslim graduate students from both AIC and LSTC.

Dr. Shabana Mir was invited to speak on “Critical Talk” with Dr. Aminah McCloud Al-Deen on October 20th.

Dr. Mir discussed her book, American Muslim Women on Campus. Together with Dr. Al-Deen, Dr Mir talked about the many contributions Muslim women have made to the field of academia throughout history.

On September 23 and 24, AIC President Timothy Gianotti participated in a virtual international academic conference on “The Concept of Death and the Concept of Life in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.” This conference was part of a larger, longer-term research initiative, “Key Concepts in Interreligious Discourses (KCID),” sponsored by the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg and the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt in Germany. Dr. Gianotti’s presentation was on conceptual understandings of death and the afterlife in Islam.

Wardah is studying Philosophy and Criminal Justice at Loyola University Chicago. She is interested in both intra- and interfaith dialogue. Wardah, with her dedicated and dynamic spirit, will be assisting the College in creating meaningful educational activities for both the students and the wider community. She also has an interest in research, writing, and outreach, and so, will additionally perform projects in this area. We are excited to have Wardah as an intern this term and look forward to working with her.

Wardah Mohammed: Assalama’laikum, my name is Wardah and I am studying Philosophy and Criminal Justice at Loyola University Chicago. I love to read, run, and learn new recipes. I am dearly excited to be an intern with American Islamic College.

August 23, 2020

As-salaamu ‘alaykum and welcome, new and returning students!

May the year ahead be filled with hard work, fruitful endeavors, much personal growth, and many joyful awakenings.

The 2020/2021 academic year brings powerful and positive winds of change to AIC. As we begin to spread our wings, diversify our programs, and take steps toward realizing the decades-long dream of becoming a full-fledged, accredited university that serves as a cornerstone for the American Muslim community and the nation as a whole, we welcome you as active partners in this historic unfolding. With our formal candidacy for accreditation (or pre-accreditation) now achieved, we are well on our way, al-hamdulillah, but without you – our students – we would not be able to write this new and exciting chapter of Islamic history. So welcome! Let’s make history together, by God’s grace and with Divine help and blessings.

There are many unique features to the way we approach education at AIC, but the most important of these is our shared emphasis upon relational, transformative education. In other words, this is not just a place to gather information and get a degree; it is a place to change, to grow, to evolve, and to experience the gradual refinement and ennoblement that traditionally has been associated with a person of learning within Islam and other faith traditions. Reviving this traditional ideal in the contemporary world requires that students be more than a number or a name. It demands that students be known and engaged in a holistic way by their professors, fellow students, and staff, all of whom share this vision just as they share a commitment to excellence. So here we do not, at the undergraduate level, offer vocational training for a particular career (although the professional possibilities are endless with an AIC degree); rather, our Liberal Arts-based BA education prepares you for life—a life of thoughtful, critical engagement, passionate commitment, creative adaptation, benevolent and socially-responsible vision, and positive impact. Standing upon this foundation, our graduate programs (Master of Arts and Master of Divinity in Islamic Studies) open the doors to professional employment as chaplains, spiritual care-givers, religious leaders, and community organizers as well as the doors of doctoral study, scholarship, and teaching.

I am so delighted that you have decided to join us and I look forward to meeting you, getting to know you, engaging you, challenging you, and being challenged by you, in sha’ allah. May God bless your academic year, and may your light be refined and shine brightly at AIC.

With prayers for God’s blessings and peace,

Timothy J Gianotti
President