An inside look into the center
Photo courtesy of Michael Calabria
BY: BROOKE JOHNPIER, STAFF WRITER
Michael Calabria was a graduate student in Arab and Islamic studies when he received an invitation to return to St. Bonaventure University to help former president Sister Margaret Carney with her idea to recognize the importance of the Arab and Islamic worlds. The idea was to build a cultural center.
Calabria is the director—and an associate professor— of Arab and Islamic studies at Bonaventure. The center for the program was created in 2015, said Calabria.
“[The purpose of] the center is 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,” said Calabria.
To achieve its purpose, the center follows a four-piece activity outreach program: on-campus instruction, off-campus instruction, community engagement and scholarship.
“On-campus instruction consists of undergraduate courses in Arab and Islamic studies in a variety of disciplines and departments,” said Calabria. “These include art history, history, international relations, language and literature, political science, women’s studies and theology.”
Calabria said that the on-campus instruction portion includes special events and programs including guest speakers, films and cultural events, some of which are held in conjunction with Muslim Student and Allies Association.
Two of the ways that the on-campus instruction is being demonstrated is by having a minor in the field and allowing anyone to go into the center at any time.
“For security purposes, it must be kept locked when I’m not available,” said Calabria. “But anyone who wants to use the center can simply contact me by email or phone.”
Off-campus instruction consists of lectures and workshops that are offered by the director of the program locally, nationally and internationally, said Calabria. These lectures are about different topics pertaining to Arab and Islamic studies.
“Off-campus instruction also includes trips to collections of Islamic art with students and staff,” said Calabria.
In fall of 2016, the Muslim Student and Allies Association took a trip to the Cleveland Museum of Art and in July of 2017, Father Calabria went to the India Islamic Cultural Center in New Delhi.
“With community engagement, CAIS seeks to advance relations between St. Bonaventure and the local Muslim community in Olean,” said Calabria.
The center engages in a variety of different scholarly initiatives, including consulting, conferences and research and publication, said Calabria.
The main way this is being initiated is through the center’s twice-annual newsletter, Nūr.
“Nūr [is] a newsletter consisting of articles, books and exhibit reviews,” said Calabria. “[It also] has other items of interest in Arab and Islamic studies, as well as the activities of CAIS.”
Calabria also said that he hopes to create a new edition this semester.
In the center, there is an exhibit for Black History Month, which focuses on Black, Muslim Americans. Calabria said that next month the center will be a Muslim exhibit on the culture of Ramadan, a time in which Muslims fast from all food and drink during daylight hours for spiritual reflection, self-improvement and heightened devotion and worship, said Calabria.
johnpibl23@bonaventure.edu
