A Memorial Gathering: Dr. Ghulam-Haider Aasi | Saturday May 3rd
AIC BULLETIN
SAVE THE DATE
A Memorial Gathering
Dr. Ghulam-Haider Aasi
A Memorial Gathering to Remember Dr. Ghulam-Haider Aasi
1945 – 2025
Date: Saturday, May 3, 2025
Time: 5:00 PM CT
Repast to Follow
Library, American Islamic College
640 W Irving Park Rd
Chicago, IL 60613
Hosted By:
The Lutheran School of Theology
Catholic Theological Union
American Islamic College
Surely We All Belong To God and
To God We Are All Returning
Yesterday was a sad day for the Catholic community and for the whole world. Pope Francis was a champion of the poor, the oppressed, and the marginalized, irrespective of faith or ethnicity, and he was a friend to the global Muslim community.
May our friend be welcomed home with mercy, forgiveness, and a joyous reception, and may he be forever in the luminous company of the righteous, God’s beloveds. And may his successor continue his example of compassion for all, dignity and respect for all, human rights for all, and care for the entire creation.
ACADEMIC LECTURE FORUM
Articulations of Muslim Pilgrimage in Moroccan Everyday Life
Date: Thursday, May 8, 2025
Time: 6:30 PM Light Reception | 7:00 PM Talk
Location: AIC Library, 640 W Irving Park Rd 60613
Dr. Al-Ajarma explores how pilgrimage to Mecca is imagined, experienced, and embedded in the social and religious lives of Moroccan Muslims.
Speaker: Dr. Kholoud Al-Ajarma
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).
Moderator: Dr. Omer Awass
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).
BOOK LAUNCH
Exploring the Stories of India
With Audrey Truschke
Date: Sunday, June 1, 2025
Time: 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM CT
Book Signing from 7:00 – 7:30 PM
Copies of the book will be available for purchase
Location: Roosevelt University
Schaumburg Campus
Atrium/Licht Student Center
1400 Roosevelt Blvd.
Schaumburg, IL 60173
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.
Speakers:
Audrey Truschke, Anantanand Rambachan, R. David Coolidge
Moderator:
Mahan Mirza
Sponsors:
Ansari Institute for Global Engagement with Religion at University of Notre Dame, American Islamic College & Roosevelt University
Professional Development at AIC
Continuing Education
We are excited to offer a range of transformative workshops and certification programs designed to enhance your skills and deepen your understanding of leadership and education within an Islamic context. Professional development courses are not designed for academic credit, but they provide valuable learning experiences that enhance career skills and knowledge. Whether you are an educator, administrator, or aspiring leader, our courses provide valuable insights into integrating Islamic values with contemporary teaching and leadership strategies. For registration or to set up an information session for a group, contact Özlen Keskin, [email protected].
Certificate in Islamic School Teaching
Certificate in Islamic Educational Administration
Certificate in Character Building, Critical Inquiry & Visionary Leadership
Professonal Development Certification
Get ready for an enriching summer at AIC! Whether you’re looking to audit or earn credit, we’re offering exciting courses for non-degree students, as well as AIC undergraduate and graduate students who can take these classes as electives. Dive into a variety of subjects, engage in thought-provoking discussions, and explore the intersection of history, religion, and pop-culture. Classes are available online. Email [email protected] with any questions.
OUR VISION
Welcoming students of all faiths and backgrounds, American Islamic College (AIC) is a Chicago-based institution of higher learning grounded in Islamic values and steeped in Islam’s rich and diverse intellectual and cultural traditions. AIC promotes appreciation for the scope and richness of Islamic history and civilization both in and beyond the classroom by means of significant research, impactful teaching, and informative public events highlighting Islam’s intellectual, artistic, and cultural expressions. Through rigorous scholarship and a commitment to social justice, the collective good, civic involvement, interfaith understanding, and intercultural engagement, AIC prepares students to become critical thinkers, visionary leaders,
and responsible global citizens.
Thank you for your support & contributions!
American Islamic College is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit institute of higher education. Contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law.
AMERICAN ISLAMIC COLLEGE
American Islamic College | 640 W. Irving Park Rd | Chicago, IL 60613 US