CAIS News, Publications & Research

Campus news releases

Gift from local Islamic Society helps sustain SBU’s Center for Arab and Islamic Studies

Oct 11, 2019

Inspired by the university’s efforts to strengthen Christian and Muslim relations, the Islamic Society of the Southern Tier made a generous donation during Francis Week to St. Bonaventure’s Center for Arab and Islamic Studies.

The gift was made Sept. 30 at the dinner that kicked off the university’s annual celebration of Francis Week and honored guest speaker Jordan Denari Duffner.

Members of the St. Bonaventure community, Islamic Society, area educators and ministers gathered in the University Chapel to hear a lecture by Duffner, author of “Finding Jesus among Muslims: How Loving Islam Makes Me a Better Catholic” (Liturgical Press, 2017).

After the lecture, Dr. Javed Akhtar, chair of the board of trustees for the Islamic Society of the Southern Tier, recognized the importance of such events and those sponsored by the Center for Arab and Islamic Studies.

“It is truly an honor to take part in this event and we are so glad to be able to assist in the ways we can,” said Dr. Akhtar. “I hope this donation will further the mission of the Center for Arab and Islamic Studies so we may continue making a difference not just in our town but in our world.”

CAIS founding director Fr. Michael Calabria, O.F.M., expressed his gratitude for the $5,000 gift.

“Without their continued support, the CAIS would not exist,” he said.

Fr. Michael, who serves as the Franciscan Order’s Special Assistant for Dialogue with Islam, recently held an international gathering in Istanbul commemorating the 800th anniversary of St. Francis’ encounter with the Sultan.

Inspired by that encounter between St. Francis of Assisi and the Sultan al-Malik al-Kamil in 1219, the Center for Arab and Islamic Studies was established at St. Bonaventure in 2015 “to promote an understanding of Arab and Islamic cultures, an appreciation of both their historical and contemporary significance in the global community, and respectful relations between Muslim and Christian people.”

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About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, St. Bonaventure University is a community committed to transforming the lives of our students inside and outside the classroom, inspiring in them a lifelong commitment to service and citizenship. In 2019, St. Bonaventure was named the #1 regional university value in New York and #2 in the North by U.S. News and World Report.

Off-campus news articles

Film: Indian Theologians Endorse "The Sultan and the Saint"
"The Sultan and the Saint" docudrama was screened during the Fourth Seminar of the Forum For South Asian Jesuit Theologians that was held at Ashirwad, Bangalore, April 29 to May 1. Participants included the eminent theologians Frs. Michael Amaladoss, founder director of the Institute for Dialogue between Cultures and Religions, and Sebastian Painadath, SJ, founder director of Sameeksha Ashram, Kalady, Kerala, India. Fr. Amalados called it "an excellent movie" with "powerful images," a film with "great educational value." Members of the Franciscan Friars of Holy Name Province participated in the documentary's making including Fr. Michael Cusato, O.F.M., professor of Franciscan studies, and Fr. Michael Calabria, O.F.M., assistant professor of theology and director of the Center for Arab and Islamic Studies at St. Bonaventure. Learn more.

'Where there is hatred, let me sow love ...'
A commentary by Fr. Michael D. Calabria, O.F.M., director of the Center for Arab and Islamic Studies, published March 23, 2019, in the Olean Times Herald: "In the aftermath of the terrible carnage in Christchurch — and now Utrecht, the Netherlands — this is not a time to debate religious truths, cultural diversity or history. It is a time for us all to grieve, to grieve the loss of 50 men, women and children who died attending to their sacred duty to pray, to offer our prayers for them and for those who mourn their deaths." Read the complete commentary.

'Where there is hatred, let me sow love...'
A commentary by Fr. Michael D. Calabria, O.F.M., director of the Center for Arab and Islamic Studies, published March 23, 2019, in the Olean Times Herald: "In the aftermath of the terrible carnage in Christchurch — and now Utrecht, the Netherlands — this is not a time to debate religious truths, cultural diversity or history. It is a time for us all to grieve, to grieve the loss of 50 men, women and children who died attending to their sacred duty to pray, to offer our prayers for them and for those who mourn their deaths." Read the complete commentary.

Franciscan show support to local Muslims gathered for prayer
When news of the massacre at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, unfolded, Fr. Michael Calabria felt compelled to reach out and show support for the local Muslim community. Calabria, director of the Center for Arab and Islamic Studies at St. Bonaventure University, and Br. Robert Lentz. went to the Islamic Society of the Southern Tier in Allegany as members gathered for prayers. "They stood guard outside of our mosque so that we could conduct our Friday prayers with a sense of security," said Asad Syed, a member of the Islamic Society of the Southern Tier. "They stood outside in the blowing cold wind for over an hour. Everyone in our community is very touched and overwhelmed with this great, noble act of solidarity and courage. Read the complete article in the Olean Times Herald.

Community gathers at St. Bonaventure University to honor Christchurch victims, religious freedom
Gathered together in the solemnity of the McGinley-Carney Center for Franciscan Ministry, about 80 community members, and students and faculty of St. Bonaventure University, paid their respects to the victims of the Christchurch shooting. The Celebration of Unity, Love and Religious Freedom was organized by the Muslim Students and Allies Club to honor those lives lost while praying at the Al Noor Mosque and the Linwood Islamic Center in New Zealand. Read the complete article in the Olean Times Herald.

Brigham Young University hosts the Utah premier of The Sultan and the Saint
On Oct. 13, Brigham Young University hosted the Utah premier of UPF’s The Sultan and The Saint, a retelling of the astounding meeting between the Sultan of Egypt Malik al-Kamil and the man who became St. Francis of Assisi – a meeting directly responsible for the ending of the fifth crusade. Brigham Young is the largest private Christian university in North America, and with religious outreach programs and successful academic publishing ventures like the Middle Eastern Texts Initiative, the school has established itself as an important resource for scholarly connection along the Christian and Muslim intersection. Learn more.
The Sultan and the Saint to premier Dec. 26 on PBS
The encounter in 1219 between St. Francis of Assisi and Malek al-Kamil, the sultan of Egypt, during yet another flashpoint in the long history of the Crusades, has been made into a documentary. "The Sultan and the Saint" will get its nationwide premiere Dec. 26 on PBS. Members of the Franciscan Friars of Holy Name Province participated in the documentary's making including Fr. Michael Cusato, O.F.M., professor of Franciscan studies, and Fr. Michael Calabria, O.F.M., assistant professor of theology and director of the Center for Arab and Islamic Studies at St. Bonaventure. Learn more
CAIS Promotes Understanding in a Tense World
Olean Times Herald — 4/5/17
"Catholic education is about embracing the world in its variety and in its diversity," said Fr. Michael Calabria, O.F.M., director of St. Bonaventure's Center for Arab and Islamic Studies. "The Franciscan charism encourages the study of history, or other cultures, or other languages in order to see how this God has so magnificently manifested himself in all of creation." Learn more.

'Islam and Christianity: How Do We Relate?'
The Arlington Catholic Herald, Arlington., Va. — 3/28/17
Fr. Michael Calabria, director of the Center of Arab and Islamic Studies at St. Bonaventure, relays stories of interfaith cooperation during a "Theology on Tap" session at Ornery Beer Company and Public House in Woodbridge, Va. Learn more.

Special Commission for Dialogue with Islam gathers
Ordo Fratrum Minorum (Franciscan Friars website) — 12/3/16
The first meeting of the Order of Friars Minor's Special Commission for Dialogue with Islam met in November of 2016 to establish its agenda of activities and projects for the next six years, chief among which will be the preparation of diverse, multilingual materials to assist the Order and its ecumenical and interfaith friends in commemorating the eighth centenary of the meeting between St. Francis and Sultan Malik al-Kamil in 1209. Learn more.

Creation of CAIS a good sign to Muslim Community
Olean Times Herald — 10/30/16
St. Bonaventure University’s establishment of its Center for Arab and Islamic Studies last year was a sign to Dr. Adil Al-Humadi — a sign of just far how Muslims in the Southern Tier had come. Read the complete article.

St. Bonaventure Campus Discusses Islamophobia
The Bona Venture — 2/8/16
The fourth discussion in the resident life Civil Dialogue Series, held Wednesday evening in the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts, engaged students in a conversation about Islamophobia.Nichole Gonzalez, executive director of residential living, introduced Fr. Michael Calabria, O.F.M., Ph.D., and director of the Center for Arabic and Islamic Studies, who led the talk. Islamophobia is often born out of ignorance, misunderstanding or political agendas, according to Calabria. Read the complete article

No Welcome Mat: After the Paris attacks, the fear of Islam runs rampant in the United States
U.S.News & World Report — 11/20/15
Article featuring commentary by Fr. Michael Calabria, O.F.M., CAIS Director. "I understand people are fearful. But you don't respond to fear and hatred with more fear and hatred."Read the complete article.