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“What is Islam?” Course Schedule, Wednesdays Morning at 9: 30 AM- 11 AM at Cross Lutheran Church in Yorkville, IL and at 7 PM at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Elgin, IL

Biographical Notes on Rev. Hicham Chehab:

Rev. Chehab is a native of Lebanon, born into a Muslim family. Through our Lord’s sovereign grace, Rev. Chehab was brought out of

the Muslim Brotherhood into a relationship with the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ. Chehab earned a Masters degree on the history of Islam from the American University of Beirut, and wrote a Ph. D dissertaion on the early sources of Islam. Chehab worked in Lebanon as a journalist specialized on international issues, Middle East affairs, and adjunct professor of history at the American University of Beirut (2002), as well as Concordia University, Ann Arbor, MI, 2008. Chehab shares the love of Christ with people from the Middle East through his work at Salam Christian Fellowship in the Midwest.

Course Description:

With the tragic events of 9/11, America awoke to find itself

engaged in a new kind of war following the collapse of the Soviet Union. While the

previous threat had come from a well-defined enemy, this time, the challenge to

America is an elusive foe at their doorsteps or inside their communities. It is a foe that

hides under the cloak of the second largest religion in the world: Islam. Reactions to

this challenge have ranged between confusion to political correctness.

How do we respond to this new challenge? There are two organized groups among

Islam who have clear-cut agendas. The first Islamic group strives to destroy the

American way of life by employing terror. The second group endeavors to transform the

social fabric of today’s America through converting people to Islam as well as political

and social activism, with the long-range objective to Islamicize the West. There is a third group, which is the largest: Muslims who come to the West dreaming of a better life. What-is-Islam-design_logofeature_Islam_And_West As followers of Christ, how do we respond to these challenges?

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand realistically the exact nature of the challenge to American.

2. Have a grasp of the core tenants that drive the passions the Islamic faith.

3. Learn to act in the manner of Jesus with those of the Islamic faith with whom we

work and live near.

Schedule and Topics:

The root causes behind the attacks of September 11: Viewing of the documentary “The Road to 911,” with comments and analysis.

First Session (Yorkville): Hicham Chehab; from the Muslim Brotherhood to a Christ Follower. \

Salam Christian Fellowship;  A Mission to Muslims.  How Salam was planted in

Chicagoland.

Session 2 : “The Life of Muhammad, His Successors, and the Legacy of Jihad”

Session 3 : “Qur’an and Hadith (Mohammad’s Sayings)”

Session 4 :“Islamic Diversity: Sunni and Shi’a Islam, Sufism, Wahhabism, the Muslim

Brotherhood, Splinter Groups, Al Qaeda”

Session 5: “Cultural Barriers between Christians and Muslims, Women in Islam”

Session 6 : “Theological Barriers and Islamic Spirituality”

Session 7 : “Approaches to Muslims”

Session 8:  The Road to 9/11 a viewing of a documentary with comments

 

Hesham Shehab

Hicham [pronounced HESHAAM] grew up in a world of bitter animosity between Muslims and Christians, which he experienced personally in a physical attack when only about 7. By age 13 he was recruited by an extremist Muslim group and later fought against Christians in the 1975 war in Lebanon. He was preparing to become a Muslim Preacher (Imam) when a car accident laid him up for a year. In 1980, in his first semester in college, his brother was killed by Christian militia. Hicham's response was to study by day, and by night take out his revenge in attacks on Christians. However, hearing the Sermon on the Mount, in a course of cultural studies (in college), brought him to faith. Later, Hicham earned an M.A. in the history of the Arabs and did Ph.D studies in the history of Islam. Hicham finished his pastoral education at Concordia, Fort Wayne, IN, and is currently in the Ph. D program there. Presently, Hicham, and ordained LCMS minister, pastors Salam Christian Fellowship and works as a missionary to the Muslims with the Lutheran Church in Illinois.

One Comment

  1. Please enroll me in the class. I plan to be there unless something comes up that I have to work. I am a care giver/handler for Zeke one of the Comfort Dogs would it be ok with you that I brought him to class with me. I will sit in the back.

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