Celebrating a New Academic Year & An Exciting New Chapter
Friday, August 21, 2026 | 11:30 a.m.
American Islamic College
1638 W. Howard St. | Chicago, IL 60626
American Islamic College warmly invites friends, supporters, community leaders, educators, and partners to join us for a special Community Reception as we begin the new academic year and celebrate an exciting new chapter in the life of the College.
Come meet our new President, Dr. James Jones, connect with AIC students, faculty, and staff, and hear about the vision taking shape for the future of American Islamic College.
We will share exciting developments surrounding the strategic partnership between American Islamic College and TISA and the opportunities it creates to strengthen our academic programs, expand our community impact, and build upon AIC’s distinctive role as an accredited Muslim institution of higher education in Chicago.
Learn more about the programs, partnerships, and initiatives growing across the College, including:
Following the reception, guests are warmly invited to join us for Jumu’ah prayer at 1:00 PM.
Khateeb: Ustadh Ubaydullah Evans
Jumu’ah: 1:00 PM
Location: American Islamic College
As a new academic year begins, we are excited to bring our community together, to reconnect with longtime friends, welcome new ones, share what is taking shape at AIC, and invite you to be part of what comes next.
AIC has a limited number of parking spaces available behind the building. Additional street parking is available in the surrounding neighborhood. Guests are encouraged to arrive early, particularly for Jumu’ah, as parking may be limited. American Islamic College is also conveniently accessible by public transportation. The College is located near the Howard CTA Station, which is served by the Red, Purple, and Yellow Lines. The short walk from the Howard Station makes AIC easily accessible for guests traveling by CTA.
One enduring commitment to scholarship, service, and community.
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Please join us in celebrating the launch of Center for the Study of Islam in India (CSII) at American Islamic College
President, American Islamic College
Executive Director, CAIR Chicago
Khateeb, Greater Chicago Area
Join us for a special evening celebrating the launch of the Center for the Study of Islam in India (CSII) at the American Islamic College in Chicago. This inaugural gathering brings together scholars, community members, and students to explore the rich intellectual, theological, and scientific traditions of Islam in the Indian subcontinent.
The program will open with welcoming remarks by Dr. Timothy Gianotti, President of the American Islamic College, followed by a keynote presentation and a shared dinner with guests.
This launch marks an important step in advancing research, dialogue, and scholarship on Islam in South Asia through the newly established Center for the Study of Islam in India at AIC.
Guests will enjoy an evening of scholarship, reflection, and community in celebration of this new academic initiative.
Arrive 1:00 PM Chicago Theological Seminary
Free and ample parking in the back (South) lot of CTS. You may enter in building’s north or south doors
1:00 Orientation and Viewing of Models at Chicago Theological Seminary (CTS)
2:00-5:00pm Trolley visits to: KAM Isaiah Israel, Al-Sadiq Mosque, and St Benedict the African
5:00-5:30 Faith, Flavor & Friendship Reception at CTS
Stops
KAM Isaiah Israel
St. Benedict the African
Al-Sadiq Mosque
Program
Inspired by The Morgan Model Collection on exhibit at Chicago Theological Seminary, our time together will begin with the viewing of the exhibit, followed by an overview of the installation. We will then engage in a brief orientation before embarking on our journey together. After the tour, we will debrief over some light refreshments during our Faith, Flavor, & Friendship reception.
We look forward to seeing you onboard! Hurry and reserve your seats as these tours sell out quickly!
Tickets: $15 (includes tour & reception) | Kids 12 & Under free but RSVP required during checkout.
If anyone has a financial hardship, please contact: Kim Schultz at kim.schultz@ctschicago.edu
Celebrate 250 years of the American experiment with a journey through the living history of faith in Chicago. Hop aboard our 5th Annual Chicago Interfaith Trolley Tour to explore the vibrant religious and cultural landscape of the city in and around Hyde Park.
With a special focus on architecture and history, participants will learn about the faith traditions rooted in each space, the stories embodied in their buildings, and the interfaith collaborations that strengthen our shared civic life. At a time when the nation reflects on 250 years, the Chicago Interfaith Trolley Tour highlights how local communities model coexistence, hospitality, and mutual understanding. Through storytelling, scholarship, and shared experience, this event offers a fun, educational, and welcoming way to encounter the spiritual expressions that shape Chicago, and America, today.
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: Saturday, January 24, 2026
Time: 11:00 AM (Chicago Time)
Venue: Online via Zoom
Registration: Required- via Zoom
This women-only gathering, hosted by the American Islamic College and led by Chaplain Nora Zaki, offers an opportunity to learn about the importance of tazkiyat al-nafs (purification of the self) coupled with rahma (compassion) as we prepare our hearts and minds for Ramadan. Through reflection and shared discussion, participants will be guided to cultivate inner growth, spiritual awareness, and embody the higher versions of ourselves we aspire to develop and sustain during Ramadan and beyond.
Nora Zaki Mantas is the founder of MyMuslimChaplain.com, a consultation company for chaplaincy. She served as the chaplain at Dominican University in Chicago and as the Advisor for Muslim Student Life at Vassar and Bard Colleges in upstate New York. Nora has a Master of Divinity from the University of Chicago and Master of Arts in Islamic Studies from Bayan Islamic Graduate School. Nora taught Introduction to World Religions at Dominican University. Nora is fluent in Arabic and a beginner speaker of Turkish.
She is a mother of two young children and enjoys spending time outdoors, even in the cold Chicago winters.
Doors open at 5:00 PM with a light reception.
Roosevelt University Schaumburg Campus – Zurich Alumni Hall
1400 Roosevelt Blvd
Schaumburg, IL 60173
There will be an opportunity to purchase the book and have it signed at the end of the event.
Advanced registration is required for this free but ticketed event.
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).
Hosts:
American Islamic College
Ansari Institute for Global Engagement with Religion at University of Notre Dame
Roosevelt University
Sponsors:
American Islamic College
Ansari Institute for Global Engagement with Religion at University of Notre Dame
Roosevelt University
Indian American Muslim Council
Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies
Hindus for Human Rights
South Asian American Coalition to Renew Democracy
The Sikh Coalition.
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Date: Friday, May 9, 2025
Time: 2:30 PM CT
Where: Library, Main Bldg, American Islamic College
With hearts full of gratitude, joy, and pride in our graduates, we celebrated a powerful milestone at American Islamic College on May 9, 2025. This was our first graduation ceremony since the onset of the pandemic. As we celebrate the commitment and academic achievement of the graduates, we renew our dedication to the pursuit of knowledge for the love of God and the service of humanity.
A heartfelt thank you to Dr. Teepu Siddique, our esteemed honorary doctorate recipient, for his lifelong contributions to science and his love for the broader sphere of learning, and we thank our esteemed keynote speaker, Alia J. Bilal, for her inspiring words and unwavering commitment to community and justice.
Congratulations to our graduates! May your journeys ahead be filled with purpose, impact, and Divine blessing.
Pakistani American neurologist best known for his discoveries concerning the genetic and molecular abnormalities underlying the neurodegenerative disorder amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Dr. Siddique’s distinction extends beyond the laboratory. He is a true “man of letters,” an intellectual whose passion for knowledge encompasses vast landscapes of human thought.
This honorary degree acknowledges not only his long and impactful career as a scientist but also his lifelong embrace of learning in its widest sense, embodying the very essence of a liberal arts education that AIC champions. Dr. Siddique stands as an inspiring figure, demonstrating the harmonious coexistence of rigorous scientific inquiry and a deep appreciation for the humanities, a confluence that enriches both the individual and the world.
Alia J. Bilal serves as Chief Executive Director at the Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN), a nonprofit community organization based in Chicago that fosters health, wellness, and healing in the inner-city by organizing for social change, cultivating the arts, and operating a holistic health center. Alia co-leads and oversees the administration, strategic development, communications, and program implementation of the organization.
In her 15 years at IMAN, Alia has helped the organization grow from a small nonprofit with an operational budget under $1 million to an organization with over 100 full-time staff members, a federally qualified health center, multiple campuses in Chicago and Atlanta, and an operational budget of over $20 million.
Omer Awass is an associate professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies at the American Islamic College in Chicago, IL. His current research interests center on religion, modernity, and globalization. He has been carrying out field research on contemporary fatwas across the Muslim world to assess how they are negotiating their postcolonial realities. His book Fatwa and the Making and Renewal of Islamic Law is published by Cambridge University Press (2023). Read More >
Kholoud al-Ajarma is Alwaleed Lecturer in the Globalised Muslim World and Deputy Director of the Alwaleed Centre, University of Edinburgh.
Kholoud holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology and Comparative Study of Religion from the University of Groningen (Netherlands). Her PhD thesis focused on the socio-cultural embeddedness of Muslim pilgrimage (Hajj) in Moroccan everyday life. During her Ph.D. studies, she worked as a lecturer at the University of Groningen and delivered several courses including ‘Anthropology of Muslim Societies’, ‘Islam: History, Sources, and Practices’, and ‘Minorities in Contemporary Europe’. Her current research focuses on water resource management and contemporary environmental concerns in the Muslim World.
Kholoud received her MA in Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution from Coventry University (UK) and her Mphil in Anthropology and Development from the University of Bergen (Norway). In addition to her academic experience in anthropology and religion, Kholoud has worked in the fields of refugee studies, gender, youth development, migration, human rights, and environmental justice in several countries of the Mediterranean region including Palestine, Jordan, Egypt, and Morocco. She was a Chevening visiting fellow at Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies (OCIS) and peace fellow of the MENA cohort fellowship programme of the United Nations Allience of Civilizations (UNAOC).
Kholoud is also an award-winning photographer and film-maker who has extensive experience developing and leading programs and projects among refugee communities, including innovative platforms for human rights research and media production among young refugee youth. Full bio.
The Lutheran School of Theology
Catholic Theological Union
American Islamic College
As-salaamu ‘alaykum.
إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُون
Indeed, we all belong to God and to God we are all returning…
Today, with heavy but grateful hearts, we remember and honor the life of Dr. Ghulam-Haider Aasi — a husband, father, friend, mentor, scholar, and educator.
Dr. Aasi was the founding chair of History of Religions at American Islamic College, where his former professor and advisor, Dr. Ismail al-Faruqi of Temple University, was named founding President and Provost. Through his deep knowledge and commitment to scholarship, Dr. Aasi shaped the minds of many through his courses on Christian-Muslim relations at AIC, Catholic Theological Union, and The Lutheran School of Theology. His lasting influence extends beyond academia as he inspired countless individuals with his unwavering kindness, humility, and patience.
In addition to his academic work on the History of Religions and Islam, Dr. Aasi leaves behind a meaningful legacy of impactful interfaith relations. He was dedicated to promoting respect, understanding, and cooperation among diverse faith communities, acknowledging and welcoming the various perspectives within each, including Islam, in order to have a more truthful and open dialogue. His publications included Muslim Understanding of Other Religions (1991) and a contribution to Peace-building by, between, and beyond Muslims and Evangelical Christians (2009).
He was a person whose presence radiated warmth and wisdom, and whose contributions will endure in the relationships he nurtured and the ideals he championed. His life reminds us of the importance of faith, empathy, humility, and the power of meaningful dialogue.
As we remember Dr. Aasi, let us honor his memory by continuing the work he so passionately pursued by building connections, sharing wisdom, and fostering peace. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, colleagues, students, and all who were touched by his endearing interactions, insightful work, and influential life.
The College remained a part of Dr. Aasi even well after his retirement, and he remains a part of the College with his lasting imprint. The AIC community will miss him dearly.
May he be welcomed home with love, forgiveness, and a joyous reception; may his life of service and transformative education be accepted; and may he be forever in the company of the righteous and granted the highest place in Paradise!
-Your AIC Family
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
We cordially invite you to join AIC faculty, staff, students, trustees, and supporters for a pre-Ramadan dinner celebrating the College’s past and present milestones and sharing exciting new developments, Ramadan programming, upcoming courses and new programs, future plans, and ultimate aspirations.
We look forward to seeing you there, in sha’ allah!
Date: Friday, February 21, 2025
Time: 6:30 PM
RSVP: Required. Space is limited! Please RSVP by February 20, 12:00 PM
