Special Lecture “Rūmī’s criticism of Awḥad Al-Dīn Kirmānī’s shāhid-bāzī”
Dr. Lloyd Ridgeon (University of Glasgow)
Date: January 16, 2024, Tuesday, 16: 00-18: 00
Venue: Meeting Room [AA447], 4th floor, Research Bldg. No. 2, Yoshida Campus, Kyoto University
Report
Dr. Lloyd Ridgeon of the University of Glasgow gave a lecture entitled “Rūmī’s criticism of Awhad al-Din Kirmani’s shāhid-bāzī “ at Kyoto University on 16 January, 2024. Kermani is famous for his emphasize on “shāhid-bāzī,” which is sometimes identified with paedophilia. Dr. Ridgeon analysed how the famous Sufi poet Rūmī, who flourished half a century later than Kermani, assessed this notion based on his poetry. This word has the meaning of not only paedophilia but also “witness” and “the one who witness God’s Beauty” in Sufism. Rūmī is generally believed to think about the latter meaning, while we cannot deny the first in some cases. Dr. Ridgeon is preparing a new work about Rūmī which will include the discussion based on this presentation.