Yahya Hendi
Muslim Chaplain
(202) 687-4272
Healy Hall, Room 112
ymh@georgetown.edu

Office Hours:

Tuesday: 4:00PM-6:00PM 

Wednesday: 2:00PM-4:00PM 

Friday: 10:00AM-12:00PM & 2:30PM-3:30PM 

Yahya Hendi

http://imamyahyahendi.com/index.htm 

Imam Yahya Hendi is the Muslim chaplain at Georgetown University, the first American university to hire a full-time Muslim chaplain. Imam Hendi retired as the Muslim Chaplain at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD in 2011 after 22 years of service.

Imam Hendi is a Public Policy Conflict Resolution Fellow of the Center for Dispute Resolution of the University of Maryland School of Law and the Maryland Judiciary’s Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office.

He also serves as a member of the Islamic Jurisprudence Council of North America. He has served as an adjunct faculty member for Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and Science and Osher's Lifelong Learning Institute of John Hopkins University, Fordham University and Hartford Seminary. Imam Hendi also teaches a very popular course at Georgetown University called Inter-religious Encounter.

Mr. Hendi's undergraduate education was in Islamic Studies and his Master’s degree in Comparative Religions and Muslim Christian Relations.

He has written numerous publications on many topics, including women in Islam, women and gender relations in Islam, the second coming of the Messiah, Islam and biomedical ethics and religion and Islam in the United States.

A sought-after speaker, Imam Hendi has presented a multitude of interfaith and general lectures in the USA, Asia, Africa, Europe, central Asia, Eastern Europe, Australia and the Middle East over the past 10 years and he has been to more than 63 countries and 45 US states for conferences.

Imam Hendi was one of the Muslim leaders who met with President Clinton during his Presidency. He also met with President Bush in the aftermath of the September 11th tragedy and met with him many more times during his presidency.

Imam Hendi often visits and lectures at churches and synagogues hoping to create a new positive relationship between the followers of the three Abrahamic religions. In his lectures, Imam Hendi focuses on issues related to gender relations, domestic violence, world peace, social, economic and political justice, and inter-religious and interfaith issues.

Imam Hendi appeared on many national and international television and Radio shows as an expert on interfaith dialogue and on Islam and Muslims (i.e. CNN, ABC, Fox, Kuwait TV, Nile TV, Pakistan Channel-II, RAI, MSNBC and Al-jazeera).

Imam Hendi recently engaged nationally and internationally on raising awareness on issues of the 21st century which included: 1) environmental responsibility, 2) a peaceful resolution to the Arab/Israeli conflict, 3) eliminating poverty, 4) fighting against militarism, and 5) empowering Muslims to reform the way they practice and understand Islam.

Imam Hendi serves on national and international interfaith councils such as the Appeal of Conscience, and the National Inter-religious Leadership Initiative for Peace in the Middle East.

Imam Hendi is the founder and the Secretary General of Clergy Beyond Borders, and the founder and the president of the newly founded organization, Imams for Universal Dignity, Human Rights and Dialogue.

In May 2002, Imam Hendi was chosen by Hartford Seminary to receive its annual “James Gettemy Significant Ministry Award” for his dedication to his Ministry and for his work to promote peace building between people of different religions. In February 2009, Imam Hendi was honored by the Baltimore field office of the FBI for fighting terrorism, drugs, and violence in America.

Imam Hendi offers inter-religious and Muslim retreats, and leads Qiyyam-layl prayers and Jum'ah (Friday Services). He also councils students on academic, professional and social issues. Imam Yahya Hendi believes that with love and education the world will be a better place to live.

Watch Imam Hendi on NBC News' World Blog.

 

Nina Brekelmans
Muslim Chaplaincy Intern
 
Nina Brekelmans is excited to join the Muslim Chaplaincy team as an intern for Spring 2013. She is a first-year student in Georgetown’s M.A. of Arab Studies program, and is pursuing a concentration in politics. She graduated from Dartmouth College last spring with a major in Arabic language and literature and a minor in public policy. As an undergraduate, she had the privilege of attending Middlebury College’s summer language school for Arabic and spending a semester of intensive study in Alexandria, Egypt. Now proficient in the language, she looks forward to continuing to improve her skills while deepening her understanding of the politics, history, economics, and social realities of the Arab region.
 
In seeking a career that will allow her to live and work abroad, she seeks to become a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. State Department. She hopes that her developing expertise on the Arab region will allow her to engage effectively with local people, integrate herself into their lifestyle, and foster relations based on mutual understanding and respect. By doing so, she will strive to bridge cultural divides, encourage development and protect human rights.
 
In her free time, Nina is a competitive long distance runner and member of the Georgetown Running Club (GRC). She is also the Treasurer of Georgetown Women in International Affairs (GWIA).

 

For any questions, comments, or concerns about the Muslim Chaplaincy, or Islamic activities around the Georgetown Campus, please feel free to email us (email listed above) and Asalam Alaikum (May Peace Be With You)!