Out of Andalus: Hidden Moriscos

[luna_saadawi]

While reading Cook’s text, I was reminded of the topic of the racialization of Islam which we discussed in class, through the lens of Moriscos. Moriscos are descendants of Muslims from Spain who were forced to convert to Christianity following the Reconquista. Outwardly, they were Christian, however for some, which we see examples of in Cook’s text, Islam stayed a secret part of their lives. Indeed, Moriscos cannot be defined into a single category, Cook says “They represented a spectrum of beliefs and practices that ranged from adherence to Islam to considering themselves “good” Catholics.” (Cook, 81). They were often labeled as Muslim based on their clothing, their food, and their music (Cook, 82). This goes back to the concept of Islam as a “race”, and how outward appearances and behaviours could lead to certain assumptions to be made. Moriscos “proving” their Christianity became practically impossible since their very existence placed them under suspicion of practicing Islam. For those who continued to practice Islam, they did so secretly. In fact, it was so secretive that a fatwa had to be made by a Mufti which allowed Moriscos alternate ways of prayer that were more discrete (Cook, 82). Cook introduces María Ruiz, a Morisco from Spain, who talks about her family and how they were forced to hide and be cautious about their Islamic practices. Minimal information about Islam was passed down to her from her parents (Cook, 83). Others like Ruiz may have been present in New Spain, however, this cannot be confirmed due to the rigidity and secrecy surrounding their Islamic practices. Nevertheless, knowledge about Islam continued to spread around Spanish America. Individuals with roots leading back to Islam were constantly denounced and put under suspicion under the Inquisition, despite their adherence to Christianity. They were questioned and judged on the way they were perceived within their communities (Cook, 90). This concept of “pureness”, which we have also discussed in class comes to mind when reading about the treatment of Moriscos in New Spain. The rigid classification of what it looked like to be Christian after the Reconquista made it so lineage became critical to one’s identity. Christians had a distinct way of spreading their religion in New Spain and anything that slightly deviated from these standards was deemed suspicious and a threat to the new order.