Living the Ten Commandments with Purpose

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The six Goals of Islamic Sacred Law are preservation of religion, life, intellect, property, family and human dignity. The emphasis that Islamic law places on a sound rational basis can be shown through the way the aims and higher purposes of the Sacred Law are used to assess the soundness of particular rulings. In a similar manner, the ten Commandments provide universal goals that are understood differently in their realization in various legal and social norms. In this talk, Dr. John Ralston Saul will explore the way in which the Goals of Islamic Sacred Law and the Ten Commandments have relevance in pluralistic global community.

Dr. John Ralston Saul was the President of Canadian PEN from 1990-1992 and an active member of Centre québécois du PEN international, he helped create the Canadian PEN Writers In Exile Network in 2004. He is a member of the Norway based Council of Writers and Experts of ICORN (International Cities of Refuge Network).

John Ralston Saul is co-Chair of the Institute for Canadian Citizenship, a national organization working with new citizens. He is also Founder and Honorary Chair of Le français pour l'avenir/French for the Future, an organisation which advances the use of French among secondary school students. He is Founder and Chair of the LaFontaine-Baldwin symposium, which advances an egalitarian and inclusive approach to democracy, and the patron of PLAN, a cutting edge organization serving people with disabilities. A Companion in the Order of Canada, he is also Chevalier in the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of France. His 17 honourary degrees range from McGill University in Montréal to Herzen State Pedagogical University in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Born in Ottawa, Saul studied at McGill University and King's College, University of London, where he obtained his Ph.D. in 1972.