From Mexico to Palestine: The Same Oppressor

[pierre-augustin_habrih]

Cook describes the way Moriscos were treated in New Spain. Moriscos were descendants of Muslims in the Iberian Peninsula who had ben forcibly converted to Christianity. Despite their conversions, their piety was perceived as unauthentic (Cook, 80). They were seen as dangerous because they had different practices than Old Christians. Those practices incurred persecution in Spain and in the Americas (Cook, 81). Due to these persecutions, many Moriscos abandoned certain practices, even in their own homes. For example, some did not perform the daily prayers (Cook, 83). The aljamiado manuscript’s description of the Day of Reckoning may have been comforting to Moriscos as it claims that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) could plead for them. It also stated that he would beg God to forgive anybody who had professed their faith, even if it was only once (Cook, 87). Moriscos were also perceived negatively because of their connections to iconoclasm. In fact, there are reports of Moriscos destroying religious images in front of Indigenous people (Cook, 92). Evidently, in most branches of Islam, representing Prophets with images is forbidden. Furthermore, worshipping anything or anyone other than God is forbidden. Thus, praying to Saints or bowing down in front of images, such as Catholics do, is in direct contradiction to Islamic values. Protestant Christians do not pray to Saints either (Cook, 94). They also have many different practices than Catholics, which would make them be perceived as a danger, such as Moriscos were. To recognize Moriscos, they would be judged by their lineage, purity of blood (limpieza de sangre), religiosity, reputation, customary practices, dress, occupation, and physical appearance (Cook, 97). Thus, Moriscos were not only recognized religiously, but also culturally, socially and racially.
Throughout the twentieth century, Latinos have developed relationships with immigrant Muslims. The earliest records of Latinos converting to Islam date back to approximately 1920. One of the reasons for these relationships is the fact that they worked together. Moreover, constraints on marriage between people with different skin colors lead Latinos and Muslim immigrants to marry each other (Bowen, 171). Finally, the oppression of both groups by Westerners created a proximity between them (Bowen, 173). Historical research has come to prove that many Latinos were forcibly converted to Christianity, during the Reconquista. Thus, their conversions are not trivial. In fact, they are reclaiming the religion of their ancestors, which is why we can call them ‘‘reversions’’. However, in Islam, we believe that all humans are born Muslim before being corrupted by their environment. Hence, anybody who converts to Islam is reverting.
In the song ‘‘Somos Sur’’, Ana Tijoux and Shadia Mansour depict worldwide oppression imposed by Western forces. The first verse represents resistance. Tijoux starts the verse by saying ‘‘Tú nos dices que debemos sentarnos pero las ideas solo puedan levantarnos’’. She is claiming that no matter how much injustice people endure due to colonial forces, they will keep rising with ideas, which elevate them much higher than Westerners want them to be. During the chorus, she says: ‘‘Todos los callados, todos los omitidos, todos los invisibles’’. This is a way of stating that she is speaking for all silenced people across the world, who are being hidden and made invisible by imperial forces. Afterwards, she states ‘‘Yo te quiero libre Palestina’’, which once again is a way for her of claiming that she is not only making this song for marginalized people in Latin America, but for oppressed people across the world. Shadia Mansour’s verse has a similar message, as she mentions colonial injustices in Africa, Latin America, and in the Arab world. She also specifically mentions the Israeli settler colonial project. In this song, both artists are giving a voice to all oppressed people. Furthermore, it implicitly illustrates the fact that all injustices across the world are caused by the same exact people, Western Imperialists.