Father Michael Calabria featured in upcoming PBS documentary on Islamic love stories

ST. BONAVENTURE — Father Michael D. Calabria, OFM, director of the Center for Arab & Islamic Studies at St. Bonaventure University, is back on the big screen.

Nine years after taking part in the Unity Productions Foundation film “The Sultan and the Saint,” Father Calabria plays a role in the upcoming UPF documentary “Islam’s Greatest Stories of Love,” scheduled to premiere Aug. 22 on PBS.

At the heart of the film is Ariella Gayotto Hohl, a brilliant young Muslim scholar whose life is upended by the tragic loss of her father. Shattered but determined, she embarks on a bold journey to uncover answers to life’s most profound questions.

“Ariella comes across my book – ‘The Language of the Taj Mahal’ (2022) – and wants to know the love story behind the iconic Indian monument,” Father Calabria said. “Together we discuss the story of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal.”

When Mumtaz died unexpectedly in childbirth in 1631, Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal as her resting place and memorial.

“In the film, we discuss the significance of the Qur’anic inscriptions that are inscribed on the gateway to the complex and on the mausoleum, which is the subject of my book,” Father Calabria said. “The film aims to foster a deeper understanding between faith communities.”

As a central voice in the film, Father. Calabria appears in several key segments, reflecting on how human love is interwoven with spiritual longing across traditions. The documentary points to shared values that transcend religious boundaries.

The winner of 19 film festival awards, 2016’s “The Sultan and the Saint” told the story of Francis of Assisi’s meeting with the Sultan of Egypt, Muhammad al-Kamil, on a battlefield during the Crusades, the bitter religious war between Muslims and Christians. The two men bucked a century of war, distrust, and insidious propaganda in a search for mutual respect and common ground.

Father Calabria was prominently featured in the film as an expert in Christian-Muslim relations.

A faculty member in SBU’s Department of World Languages and Cultural Studies since 2003, Father Calabria introduced an Arabic & Islamic Studies minor and has actively supported Muslim students on campus, from interfaith prayer vigils to leading programs addressing Islamophobia.