Educating Leaders for a Pluralistic America

Bayan Islamic Graduate School, operating since 2011 in partnership with a leading Christian theological seminary, is the United States’ first Islamic higher education institution to offer an accredited Master of Arts in Islamic Studies, Master of Divinity in Islamic Chaplaincy, and Doctor of Ministry in Islamic Leadership. Bayan’s mission is to cultivate a world that understands Islamic values in a modern context, and in particular to produce religious leaders and scholars for the Muslim American community who can also enrich civic and interreligious spaces with thoughtful and meaningful contributions. To date, 70 graduates serve as imams, chaplains, educators, and organizational leaders throughout the nation.

Founding President Jihad Turk states, “Religion when done right can be a force of positivity and healing; that’s how we view the Islamic faith. We want to provide an understanding for Muslims and society at large.” Furthermore, he notes, “Our training isn’t just Islamic; it emphasizes civic engagement, nonprofit management, public speaking. It’s also about interfaith relations and conflict resolution.”

A name like “Jihad Turk” certainly grabs attention, sometimes even prompting apprehension. Growing up in Phoenix, Arizona, he tried using the nickname “Jay,” but his father disapproved. Jihad recounts, “He told me, the essence of my name in Arabic is ‘The struggle to do the right thing,’” and he has tried to live up to that standard ever since. Born to a Muslim Palestinian father and a Christian American mother, Turk embarked on a journey of self-understanding, spending part of his college years exploring his roots in the Muslim world. 

Later, after graduating with a degree in history from UC Berkeley and a master’s degree from UT Austin in Arabic and Islamic studies, he continued at UCLA. He was soon recruited as the forward-thinking religious director of a major Los Angeles mosque. As a scholar and interfaith bridge-builder, he was approached by the world-renowned Claremont School of Theology to run an Islamic graduate seminary program, and he knew it was so needed. Bayan now offers its degrees in partnership with the Chicago Theological Seminary.

Bayan seeks to better integrate the diverse Muslim American community – African American Muslims, several generations of immigrants from many nations, and converts. Black Muslims comprise one fifth of all U.S. Muslims. About 40 percent of Bayan’s students are African American. One of the most popular classes at Bayan, “Islam in Black America: From Slavery to Hip-Hop,” explores the historical and contemporary connections of Islam and the Black community, fleshing out an underappreciated aspect of our nation’s history. Enthusiasm for this material was so strong that Bayan made video recordings of the lectures available to the public. For $10 per month, anyone can subscribe to Bayan’s online courses, and the money goes towards a scholarship fund named after boxing legend and heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali. Turk knew Ali personally, and he promised the Ali family he would carry on good works in Muhammad’s honor. His wife, Lonnie Ali, affirms, “His spiritual legacy will be maintained at Bayan.”