Editor’s Note: Good Faith Media’s “25 Who Inspire” list appears in the July-September issue of Good Faith Magazine.
Imad Enchassi
Chairman of Islamic Studies, Chaplain, and Professor at the Wimberly School of Religion at Oklahoma City University
By Mitch Randall
MItch Randall
Imad Enchassi is a brother from another mother. For over a decade, I have admired this Muslim imam for his deep faith, his commitment to social justice, and his outstanding sense of humor. Imad makes me laugh. Through that laughter, I have learned some remarkable lessons. As colleagues and friends from different faiths, we do not see ourselves as competing for souls but as brothers working together to make the world a better place for all.
As a Palestinian refugee growing up in Beirut, Imad experienced atrocities no person should have to endure. When I visited his family in Beirut, he took me to the place where he hid for three days in 1982, as the Israeli Defense Forces allowed Maronite Christian soldiers to massacre thousands of Palestinians. Imad could have taken a different path that day; instead, he chose to follow one of peace and love.
Imam Imad Enchassi is one of the greatest Christians I know, and he’s a Muslim. Imad lives a faith centered on love, justice, and inclusion more than many Christians do. Oklahoma is a better place because of him and the Muslim community he leads. He is an inspiration and an example to the world that love conquers hate.
Mitch Randall is CEO of Good Faith Media.
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
Reflection and resources at the intersection of faith and culture through an inclusive Christian lens.