Some answers on Cook
-
A Morisco/Morisca was a Mulsim person who was forced to converted to Christianity during or after La Reconquista.
After La Reconquista of Andalucia, many Moriscos traveled to New Spain, hoping to escape the mistrust and scrutiny they faced on the Iberian Peninsula. However, their situation did not get better. When arriving to New Spain Moriscos met with new suspicions, “La Inquisición” always questioning their religious loyolaty. The Spanish Crown was not content with Moriscos immgrating to New Spain, since it undermined a “unified Catholic society.”
For María Ruiz, confessing her faith in Islam to the Inquisition in my belief came from no longer wanting to live with the daily anxiety she faced having to hide a part of her faith. The Inquisition posed an immense threat to whoever would defy Chistian belifs, threatening them with fate worst than death. As well, as, feeling estranged from the Islamic community she grew up, confessing her true beliefs might have been a way to secure her salvation in way.
Furthermore, the repression of Islam greatly affected Moriscos in many ways. They were forced to practice their religion in secret, with much anxiety about getting caught. Clothing, language, and customs also played a great role, as they constantly had to worry about denunciations by neighbors or others who questioned their conversion to Christianity, which could, again, result in imprisonment or execution by the Inquisition.
Reading Cook reminded me of a book called “Huesos de lagartija” I read in middle school, it demonstrated the broader theme of repression and cultural erasure, drawing a parallel between the violent colonization of indigenous populations and the suppression of Morisco culture.