Islamicate history is global history
To a contemporary erudite, knowing Arabic is like knowing Latin one or two generations ago. Or rather, it is what the knowledge of Greek might have been to a Renaissance man: a pride and a frontier, and a measure of my value as a scholar. It is the key to a larger world, a complementary history, constantly interpenetrating with the Romance one, creating palimpsests and fractally filling bordering spaces. Islamicate intellectual history is the first step out of Europe toward a global vision.
If I could formulate a regret like George Steiner did in Errata, I would say I am deeply sorry my Arabic is not better. It is not an unprecedented case that a scholar goes on with it for years; such was the case, as I have heard, of Gertrude Bell. Similarly, I started studying Arabic as a teenager, moved to it by a vague intuition of a complementary world, as mentioned above. Later on, I studied it at Jagiellonian University, yet without obtaining any full qualification; it was at the time when I was already fully trained in Portuguese studies, so I felt no pressure to complete the other curriculum. Today I do regret it.
Over the last decade or so, my interest in Islamic studies was a turbulent flux covering several particular areas and moved by particular questions I would like to answer. One of them is the contribution of Islamic intellectuals to modern and postmodern European history of ideas. How is the Islamic factor shaping the present-day European philosophy and cultural criticism debate? I have worked on the impact caused by the emergence of Islamic intellectual, bringing about a fusion of modern legacy with the religious aspect that seems quite alien to the secularised, Western definitions of the intellectual as one of the main instances of modernity. In such a way, the area of post-secular Islamic studies is to be explored.
Another research question, apparently distant from the first one, that equally bothers me is the contribution of mystical Islam to the development of literature, especially poetry with its highly idiosyncratic forms of imagination, all over the Islamicate world. One can find a Sufi contribution to the birth of local literary systems in such corners of the globe as West Africa, Chechnya, and Bengal. I would be very glad if one day I could see this phenomenon with any clarity.
Last but not least, I've been always fascinated with Islam on the Iberian Peninsula, the lasting legacy of Al-Andalus that many take for a sort of ideal culture and ideal society. I am attached, on the contrary, to the idea of transgression and contestation that I see as something peculiar to the Andalusian mind.
As a special point of interest, I have explored early testimonies of European conversion to Islam and the history of penetration of Arabia. More precisely, I delved into the hajj performed by the European converts in the early 20th century. that I interpreted as a transcultural experience crossing the boundaries of colonial identities. Certainly, those Oriental adventures of the 19th and early 20th century wake up the teenager who started learning Arabic a quarter of a century ago,
I am attached to the idea of complementarity of Romance and Islamic worlds in the Mediterranean, as well as the idea that a careful examination of all sorts of Islamicate factors is essential in the study of world literature and world history of ideas. Without a thorough awareness of Islam, hardly any progress in global humanities is possible today.
If I could formulate a regret like George Steiner did in Errata, I would say I am deeply sorry my Arabic is not better. It is not an unprecedented case that a scholar goes on with it for years; such was the case, as I have heard, of Gertrude Bell. Similarly, I started studying Arabic as a teenager, moved to it by a vague intuition of a complementary world, as mentioned above. Later on, I studied it at Jagiellonian University, yet without obtaining any full qualification; it was at the time when I was already fully trained in Portuguese studies, so I felt no pressure to complete the other curriculum. Today I do regret it.
Over the last decade or so, my interest in Islamic studies was a turbulent flux covering several particular areas and moved by particular questions I would like to answer. One of them is the contribution of Islamic intellectuals to modern and postmodern European history of ideas. How is the Islamic factor shaping the present-day European philosophy and cultural criticism debate? I have worked on the impact caused by the emergence of Islamic intellectual, bringing about a fusion of modern legacy with the religious aspect that seems quite alien to the secularised, Western definitions of the intellectual as one of the main instances of modernity. In such a way, the area of post-secular Islamic studies is to be explored.
Another research question, apparently distant from the first one, that equally bothers me is the contribution of mystical Islam to the development of literature, especially poetry with its highly idiosyncratic forms of imagination, all over the Islamicate world. One can find a Sufi contribution to the birth of local literary systems in such corners of the globe as West Africa, Chechnya, and Bengal. I would be very glad if one day I could see this phenomenon with any clarity.
Last but not least, I've been always fascinated with Islam on the Iberian Peninsula, the lasting legacy of Al-Andalus that many take for a sort of ideal culture and ideal society. I am attached, on the contrary, to the idea of transgression and contestation that I see as something peculiar to the Andalusian mind.
As a special point of interest, I have explored early testimonies of European conversion to Islam and the history of penetration of Arabia. More precisely, I delved into the hajj performed by the European converts in the early 20th century. that I interpreted as a transcultural experience crossing the boundaries of colonial identities. Certainly, those Oriental adventures of the 19th and early 20th century wake up the teenager who started learning Arabic a quarter of a century ago,
I am attached to the idea of complementarity of Romance and Islamic worlds in the Mediterranean, as well as the idea that a careful examination of all sorts of Islamicate factors is essential in the study of world literature and world history of ideas. Without a thorough awareness of Islam, hardly any progress in global humanities is possible today.
selected papers
Two cities and the spirit of the Desert.
A debate on secularity
“Dwa miasta i duch Pustyni. Spór o doczesność”, Przegląd Orientalistyczny, no 1/2020, p. 39-53. ISSN 0033-2283
In this paper, I comment on the debate concerning the ideal model of life in the perspective of history and philosophy of religion. Taking for the starting point George Steiner's criticism of the “tyranny of the Absolute” introduced by the monotheistic idea, I sketch an outlook of the sources and character of the tension between religious requirements and the desire of secular life in Christianity and Islam. Already at its beginnings, Islam treated this tension in quite a different way than historical Christianity, stressing the necessity of realising the ideal state in this world; quite to the contrary, such ideas were contested by early Christians, who claimed that the Kingdom of the Christ is not from this world. As suggested by Bernard Lewis, Muhammad took on the role of Constantine, establishing a different tradition of universal law in which the distinction between public and private affairs is blurred. The modern and postmodern debate on the frontiers of the sacred and the profane is thus treated as a consequence of the historical beginnings of Christianity and Islam, as well as the primary principles with which both religions confronted the Mediterranean world of late Antiquity. The conclusion accentuates both agonistic and dialogic character of the disagreement concerning the sacred and the profane of Christianity and Islam, treated as essential answers to the same, still pertinent question asked at the end of pagan Antiquity.
| dwa_miasta.pdf |
Al-Andalus: transcultural space of memory
“Al-Andalus: transkulturowa przestrzeń pamięci”, Przegląd Orientalistyczny, no 1-2/2016, p. 131-140. ISSN 0033-2283
Al-Andalus becomes a deterritorialized space of memory in which the notions of past cultural and intellectual excellence are used as a legitimization for contemporary aspirations of new societies, such as that of the United Arab Emirates. Andalusian texts and figures, such as the Lament for the Fall of Seville by Abu'l-Baqa' al-Rundi or the legendary “aviator” Abbas Ibn Firnas are digitalized in new interpretations made accessible in the Internet and reinvented in the consumerist culture. The memory of Al-Andalus forms a basis for a non-Western formulation of new universalism, fostering, at the same time, the necessity of reintroducing the term in the discourse of the contemporary humanities.
| al_andalus_transkulturowa_przestrzen_pamieci.pdf |
New geography of theory.
France and its partners in the post-secular debate
"Nowa geografia teorii. Francja i jej partnerzy w debacie postsekularnej", Sensus Historiae, vol. XX, nr 3/2015, p. 149-160. ISSN 2082-0860.
http://www.sensushistoriae.epigram.eu/index.php/czasopismo/article/view/296/304
As the main thesis of this article, we claim that the Atlantic circuit of ideas, in which the classical postmodernism took its definite shape, has been replaced by a Mediterranean one. In this new “geography of theory,” France, Italy and Maghreb are the main partners of the post-secular debate. The seminar on Capri in 1994, where Derrida met several Italian thinkers to pose the emergent problem of the “return of the religion” is considered as a symbolic breakthrough in this domain. The participation of the Islamic thinkers has been thence posted as a requirement. Nonetheless, the essential point to be taken into the account is the symptomatic turnover: the Maghrebian thinkers speak the language of the Enlightenment, while the European ones tend to incarnate the “spirit of the Desert.” The scheme identifying “knowledge” with Europe and “faith” with the Maghrebian counterpart is no longer valid. The new circuit of ideas is put into practice on account of the lack of synchronisation between the theoretical approaches, which oscillate between “too late” and “too early,” “not yet” and “no more.” The deconstruction of religion is realised through the dismantling of the theology (and of the concept of community based on theological consensus); its place is taken by the individual mystical experience. Due to this process, the metaphor of the “automaton chess player” proposed by Walter Benjamin is no longer valid; breaking the circle of revolution and terror, forming the catastrophic paradigm of the modernity, becomes possible. In ultimate terms, the utmost challenge of the deconstruction epitomised by the “spectre of Derrida” is to support yet another translation and to carry out a crucial mediation in the Mediterranean.
http://www.sensushistoriae.epigram.eu/index.php/czasopismo/article/view/296/304
As the main thesis of this article, we claim that the Atlantic circuit of ideas, in which the classical postmodernism took its definite shape, has been replaced by a Mediterranean one. In this new “geography of theory,” France, Italy and Maghreb are the main partners of the post-secular debate. The seminar on Capri in 1994, where Derrida met several Italian thinkers to pose the emergent problem of the “return of the religion” is considered as a symbolic breakthrough in this domain. The participation of the Islamic thinkers has been thence posted as a requirement. Nonetheless, the essential point to be taken into the account is the symptomatic turnover: the Maghrebian thinkers speak the language of the Enlightenment, while the European ones tend to incarnate the “spirit of the Desert.” The scheme identifying “knowledge” with Europe and “faith” with the Maghrebian counterpart is no longer valid. The new circuit of ideas is put into practice on account of the lack of synchronisation between the theoretical approaches, which oscillate between “too late” and “too early,” “not yet” and “no more.” The deconstruction of religion is realised through the dismantling of the theology (and of the concept of community based on theological consensus); its place is taken by the individual mystical experience. Due to this process, the metaphor of the “automaton chess player” proposed by Walter Benjamin is no longer valid; breaking the circle of revolution and terror, forming the catastrophic paradigm of the modernity, becomes possible. In ultimate terms, the utmost challenge of the deconstruction epitomised by the “spectre of Derrida” is to support yet another translation and to carry out a crucial mediation in the Mediterranean.
| nowa_geografia_teorii.pdf |
Intellectual as homo religiosus.
Traditions of European modernity and Islamic thinkers
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“Intelektualista jako homo religiosus. Tradycje europejskiej nowoczesności i myśliciele islamu”, Islam w Europie. Nowe kierunki badań. Księga ku czci Profesor Anny Parzymies, Marta Widy-Behiesse, Konrad Zasztowt (eds.), Warszawa, Wydawnictwo Akademickie Dialog, 2015, p. 67-78. ISBN 978-83-8002-201-0 |
The figure of the intellectual seems indissolubly connected with European modernity and its secularising tendencies. In the double process of modernisation and secularisation, the intellectual played a crucial role moderating and facilitating the passage from the old order, granted and legitimized by the Revelation, to the new one, in which the earthly needs, aims and desires of man, such as the pursuit of happiness, became the legitimate source of social and cultural change. Along the history of European modernity, the role played by the intellectuals was criticized and redefined. Nonetheless, the characterisation of the intellectual as a secular, non-religious instance was never subjected to major questioning. Even if many contemporary European left-wing intellectuals, such as Slavoj Žižek, may be deeply involved in the re-examination of religious legacies, their main, materialist stance or even openly assumed atheism remains a given. This apparently clear situation has been contested, in a significant way, by the advent of Islamic intellectuals, conjugating their involvement in the modernity with a religious affiliation. The emergence of Islamic intellectual as a new role model, combining, in a paradoxical way, the tasks and prerogatives of a secular intellectual defined by European modernity and the fidelity to a living, ever-present faith, may be considered as a major surprise and novelty, redefining not only the Muslim world, but also the contours of the debate in European contexts.
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“Tafsir as Mystical Experience: Intimacy and Ecstasy in Quran Commentary. Tafsīr Sūrat al-Baqara of Sayyid ʿAlī Muhammad Shīrāzī, The Báb (1819-1850), written by Todd Lawson”, Arabica, no 68(5-6)/2021, p. 681-686. (Book review).
https://brill.com/view/journals/arab/68/5-6/article-p681_10.xml , https://doi.org/10.1163/15700585-12341601 |
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“Tony K. Stewart. Witness to Marvels. Sufism and Literary Imagination”, Kervan. International Journal of Afro-Asiatic Studies, no 23/2(2019), p. 273-277. ISSN 1825-263X (Book review).
https://www.ojs.unito.it/index.php/kervan/article/view/3952/pdf
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“Gregory A. Lipton, Rethinking Ibn 'Arabi”, Przegląd Orientalistyczny, no 1/2019, p. 77-79. ISSN 0033-2283 (Book review).
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ongoing research
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international journals & sources in Islamic studies |
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The Journal of Muslims in Europe is devoted to publishing articles dealing with contemporary issues on Islam and Muslims in Europe from all disciplines and across the whole region, as well as historical studies of relevance to the present. The focus is on articles offering cross-country comparisons or with significant theoretical or methodological relevance to the field. Case studies with innovative approaches or on under-explored issues, and studies of policy and policy development in the various European institutions, including the European courts, and transnational movements and social and cultural processes are also welcome. The journal also welcomes book reviews. All contributions to the journal must display a substantial use of primary-source material and must be original. The editors also encourage younger scholars to submit contributions. The Journal of Muslims in Europe publishes articles in both English and French.
https://brill.com/view/journals/jome/jome-overview.xml |
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Contemporary Islam: Dynamics of Muslim Life focuses on topical issues and takes an interdisciplinary approach that benefits from a cross-cultural perspective: articles will explore the relationship between Islam and its contemporary cultural, material, gender, economic, political, and religious expressions from different socio-scientific perspectives, such as anthropology, sociology, education, politics, international relations, ethnomusicology, arts, film studies, economics, human rights, international law, diaspora minority studies, demography, and ethics.
https://www.springer.com/journal/11562/ |
international journals in Mediterranean studies
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