Feb. 18, 2001-- Sunday NBC aired a movie based on the real- life love story of a princess from Bahrain and an American Marine.

The princess, of course, is a Muslim and the Marine is a Mormon. Religion Specialist Carole Mikita interviewed them this week about how they are coping with their battle to stay together.

It was November 2nd of 1999 when Meriam Al- Khalifa and Lance Corporal Jason Johnson made international headlines with their forbidden romance and escape from her country.

They told me that despite the differences in their religions, they believe it was divine intervention that brought them together.

"DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE BELIEVE IN TWO DIFFERENT RELIGIONS, WE ARE BOTH EQUALLY COMMITTED TO THE FACT THAT WE BELIEVE THAT THERE'S BEEN A HIGHER POWER INVOLVED IN OUR RELATIONSHIP AND THAT SOMEBODY THAT'S MORE POWERFUL THAN US WANTS US TO WORK OUT BECAUSE OF THE WAY THINGS HAVE BEEN GOING FOR US."

But even now they are on the run.

It is against Islamic law in the country of Bahrain for a Muslim woman to marry a Christian man. Once again Jason and Meriam are hiding and agreed to talk with me only by satellite, because of death threats.

Meriam Al-Khalifa Johnson/"WE MOVED A LOT JUST FOR THAT REASON. AND WE'VE SETTLED DOWN SOMEWHERE AND WE'RE GONNA KEEP THAT PRIVATE JUST TO PREVENT THAT FROM HAPPENING AGAIN."

They met in 1999 while he was a U.S. Marine stationed in her country. She is a member of the royal family in Bahrain.

They describe themselves then as typical young people who simply fell in love. That was the easy part.

When it was time for him to leave, she went with him, escaping from her family's compound, disguising herself and using forged documents.

"IT WAS SOMETHING I PRAYED ABOUT A LOT. IT WAS SOMETHING I WANTED TO KNOW. WHAT I WAS DOING GOES AGAINST EVERYTHING I'VE BEEN TAUGHT MY WHOLE LIFE, BUT I KNEW THAT IT WAS RIGHT, I FELT THAT IT WAS RIGHT. AND IF IT WASN'T RIGHT, THEN I DOUBT THAT WE WOULD HAVE COME AS FAR AS WE HAVE COME."

Once here, INS agents took her into custody for several days. Soon after that, they married in Las Vegas.

But everything is on hold. Meriam is still seeking asylum in the United States and their court battle continues. They hope the movie about their life together will generate public support.

For now, they say they depend on their faith, the beliefs they have in common.

Jason/"ISLAM HAS A LOT OF GREAT MORAL VALUES THAT THE PEOPLE LIVE BY, A LOT LIKE OUR CHURCH-- CHASTITY, A HEALTH CODE, HONORING YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER, FAMILIES ARE VERY IMPORTANT AND THOSE ARE SOME OF THE BASIC FOUNDATIONS THAT THE LDS CHURCH BELIEVES STRONGLY IN AND THE SAME THINGS THAT ISLAM BELIEVES STRONGLY IN."

Meriam: "OUR FAITH IS A LOT SIMILAR TO EACH OTHER. WE DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT. BUT I DO LEARN ABOUT HIS AND HE DOES LEARN ABOUT MINE, JUST SO IT HELPS US UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER A LITTLE BIT MORE."

Jason was granted an honorable discharge from the Marines. His family is very supportive of their marriage. Meriam only has e-mail contact with her sisters in Bahrain.

Jason and Meriam say they hope now to earn college degrees, find a permanent home and have a family, but she has a final INS hearing this spring.