My conversation with Ayman Soliman strengthened my faith and my focus

From a Butler County jail cell to a Cincinnati coffee shop, Ayman Soliman's grace never wavered.

It started with an automated recording.

“This is a call from an inmate, which will be recorded. Press 1 if you are a lawyer or 2 to speak to the inmate.”

I pressed 2. On the other line was Ayman Soliman.

It was 11:02 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 19 − Soliman’s 73rd day of being detained in the Butler County Jail. My team had been working with him for months, along with his lawyers and federal officials, but this would be our first conversation.

The call was being recorded, so I was asked not to discuss his case. But the fact is, I wasn’t intending to.

I wanted to check in and see how he was doing, but also ask about his work as a chaplain. I hoped to understand how his faith and training as a chaplain were serving him in such a desperate time.

Soliman fled persecution only to face detention

This isn’t the first time Soliman faced extreme adversity. He came to the United States in 2014 after escaping oppression in Egypt, describing a return as a “death sentence.” He was granted asylum in 2018, and immigration officials also agreed that going back would have put his life at risk.

Finally safe, Soliman went back to doing what he does best − helping others. In Chicago, he completed his chaplaincy training at Mount Sinai and Loyola University Medical Center. He also worked as an imam at a college mosque in Chicago and later at an Islamic center in Indiana.

After settling in Southwest Ohio, Soliman spent the past four years supporting sick children and their families as the Muslim chaplain at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. At the Clifton Mosque, he’s a volunteer imam, chairs the religious committee, and was elected to the board of trustees.

Soliman touched many lives through his chaplaincy work

When our phone call began, we both said hello, and I asked him if he was OK. He kindly asked me the same. And then I jumped in.

“Ayman,” I said, “I want to talk about your chaplaincy work. After fleeing for your life, landing here in America, what made you choose to be a chaplain, and how did that all work?”

As he started to explain, it was clear that we were both just happy to be talking about our faiths and the work we believe we were called to do.

I’m Jewish with a master’s in theological studies, and I work in politics.

He’s Muslim with degrees in Islamic studies, chaplaincy training, and he last worked at one of the best children’s hospitals in the country.

A letter left on my doorstep from a neighbor described how they needed the support of a chaplain when her son was at Children’s. She wrote that Ayman Soliman was one of the kindest, most decent human beings she and her husband ever met. He helped them get through one of the worst moments of their lives.

Everyone I spoke to confirmed this to be true about Soliman.

Chaplaincy was his calling, Soliman explained. It was part of his faith journey. He loved to visit other chaplains, from all faiths, to better understand how chaplaincy worked in different settings. It helped him get better.

I never took a class on chaplaincy when I was in divinity school, but I wanted to learn and read about it. I asked him which books he would recommend.

He had two:

“Spiritual Care Basics and Beyond” and “May I Walk You Home.” The latter is about helping others through grief, he explained.

I was excited to keep talking, but our time was up. We agreed we would talk soon.

After hanging up, I looked down at my phone to see a text that said, “Ayman would be released within the hour.”

Soliman found out a few minutes later.

The next week, we sat in a coffee shop in Cincinnati and kept talking − mostly about faith and what it requires of us. I’m glad he’s home and can continue to pursue full citizenship.

I’m also just excited to keep building a relationship with him. It’s been good for my own faith, my sense of purpose and resolve, which is what a good chaplain does.