November
27, 2012
Law
and Love: A Special Lecture on the Kitáb-i-Aqdas
On Saturday, November 17th, the
Ottawa Bahá'í Centre was pleased to host a presentation by Dr. Lagha
Fanaian, family law lawyer, and author of Loving Law: A call
for a spiritual reform of family law and the legal
profession. He has been practising and teaching law for over
forty years, in three different countries, most recently Canada.
Dr. Fanaian, who has been a member of the Baha’i Faith since his youth
in Iran, is also a spiritual philosopher. Based on his study
of the writings of the Bahá'í Faith, most especially the The
Kitáb-i-Aqdas, he has put forward the uncommon claim that love and the
law are closely bound to one another.
The Kitáb’i-Aqdas is the Bahá'í book of laws revealed in 1873
by Bahá'u'lláh, the Faith’s founder. In the introduction,
Bahá'u'lláh writes, “O peoples of the world! Know assuredly
that My commandments are the lamps of my loving providence among my
servants, and the keys of My mercy for My creatures”.
Dr. Fanaian pointed out to his audience that the Bahá'í book of laws
began with references to love and mercy. Few approaches to the law,
whether secular or sacred, make such prominent reference to these
subjects. These twin themes of law and love informed his subsequent
remarks on the meaning of justice.
The evening closed with a summary and response by local Bahá'í author
Jack McLean and a period of comments and questions from the audience.
|
