Fresky v poušti jako metafora pro palimpsest islámu
Desert Frescoes as a Metaphor for the Palimpsest of Islam

Summary/Abstract: Layered like the desert frescoes it explores, Josef Řídký’s essay delves into Shahzad Bashir’s innovative book *A New Vision for Islamic Pasts and Futures*, which reimagines Islamic history through a digital, poetic lens. Bashir’s work traverses centuries and continents—from medieval mystics in Persia to modern YouTube pop culture—while challenging orientalist narratives and linear historiography. The essay highlights Bashir’s hermeneutic approach, blending religion, politics, literature, and architecture into a rich palimpsest of Islamic experience. Central to this vision is the concept of time: plural, overlapping, and culturally situated, resisting Western positivist frameworks. The chapter “Fresky na poušti” exemplifies this by examining the Umayyad bathhouse Kusejr Amra, where soot, Bedouin symbols, and restoration resin layer over ancient frescoes, mirroring the multifaceted nature of Islamic memory. Bashir’s previous works on messianism, Sufi bodies, Persian poetry, and Pashtun identity further inform this multidimensional narrative. The digital format of the book enhances its intertextuality, allowing readers to navigate through symbolic networks that echo Islamic visual traditions. Ultimately, Bashir’s project is a call to see Islam not as a monolith but as a mosaic of lived realities, historical textures, and interpretive possibilities. His empathetic scholarship invites readers to rethink collective identities and the stories we tell about faith, time, and culture.

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