Morisco/a
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Moriscos and Moriscas were Muslims in Spain who converted to Christianity as Christian nations progressively suppressed the Iberian Peninsula from Muslim rule. For decades, Spain attempted to remove Muslim rulers from the region, instilling a profound animosity against Islam. This led to a series of stigmatization and identity suppression for Moriscos, who’s culture was seen as a serious threat. Indeed, on a political level, Moriscos were accused of being allies of Spain’s Muslim enemies and of providing “aid to the Ottoman sultan in invading Spain.” Spanish authorities viewed Moriscos as a “threat to the creation of a model Catholic community.” They feared that Moriscos might bring Islamic beliefs or practices to the colonies, potentially undermining the Catholic religious orthodoxy that Spain sought to impose on its territories.
Moriscos, who had survived the Spanish Inquisition and forced conversions, brought with them not just their past but also the complications of cultural dualism. Far from having a consistent identity, Moriscos represented some of their faith, anchored in Islam, some tried to adapt to and others even accepted Catholicism: many of them were falling somewhere in between. The colonial landscape of New Spain became a place where religious ambiguity was suppressed. María Ruiz's experience, as described by Cook, is surely a depiction of what it must have been like for so many Moriscos who left Spain for New Spain. Through her story, we see how displacement involved an ongoing negotiation of identity. The external pressures from colonial authorities and the demand for religious conformity made it increasingly difficult for them to maintain any connection to their Islamic roots.