Moroccan thinker and novelist Hassan Aourid stated that the expulsion of the Moriscos, which is the focus of his 2024 novel “Al-Faqih” (The Jurist), “is not merely a historical incident, but a clear indication of the phenomenon of forced displacement.”
He emphasized the strong parallels between the current plight of Palestinians and the hardships faced by the Andalusians centuries ago, marked by persecution and forced exile.
“We are not far from a continuous tragedy, which perhaps explains why many Palestinians have shown great interest in this work,” he noted.
Speaking Saturday evening at the International Book and Publishing Fair in Rabat, during the presentation of his new novel “Al-Faqih”, published by the Center for Cultural Books, Aourid highlighted the deep sense of identification Palestinians feel with the experiences of the Andalusians.
He pointed out that “The Morisco”, the French-translated version of his novel, was selected for inclusion in some Jordanian educational programs, primarily by individuals of Palestinian origin, demonstrating this emotional and historical connection. Aourid expressed his hope that such tragedies would not be repeated.
Nevertheless, the Moroccan intellectual insisted on “remaining within the scope of the text itself,” emphasizing that his novel fundamentally deals with “the tragedy of the displaced Andalusians based on historical facts.”
He explained: “I worked with documents that chronicle what the Moriscos endured right after the fall of Granada, especially during what is referred to as the first uprising in 1497, five years after Granada’s fall, when the Church violated the agreement made with King Abu Abdullah, who had surrendered the city’s keys on the condition that Muslim religious practices be respected.”
Aourid added that “the Church pressured the Queen to enforce the conversion of Muslims to Christianity, triggering the first uprising, followed by a second when Muslims were forced to change their names, customs, and traditions.”
He drew a parallel between the 1568 decree mandating name changes and Israel’s recent Nation-State Law, noting: “While Jews had been expelled earlier, I focused on Muslims in my work. I indicated that such circumstances are always susceptible to repetition.”
He continued: “In ‘Al-Faqih,’ there is a scene where Shihab al-Din Afuqai cries, and when asked why, he replies that he ‘fears the tragedy might repeat itself elsewhere.’” Aourid added, “I believe Palestinians picked up on this signal, and indeed, what we are witnessing today is a new chapter of the same ongoing tragedy: from oppression to forced displacement.”
He referenced the late Lebanese novelist Elias Khoury, who famously said, “The Nakba is not just a historical incident but a recurring state,” emphasizing that “forced displacement must not be seen as a closed chapter, but as a reality that continues to repeat itself.” He noted that the narrative of his novel feels contemporary due to the details it addresses.
Aourid, speaking alongside academic Mohamed Ait El Aouim, explained that “Al-Faqih” is based on a French-language text he had written 15 years earlier titled “Le Morisque” (The Morisco), at a time when the Morisco issue was relatively unknown and even the term “Morisco” was not widely used. Its publication coincided with the 400th anniversary of the Moriscos’ expulsion.
The distinguished Moroccan academic recounted that “Al-Faqih” drew from a manuscript written by a real Andalusian who lived through those events — Shihab al-Din Afuqai — describing him as “the last Andalusian to write in Arabic.”
The manuscript, titled “Nasr al-Din ‘ala al-Qawm al-Kafirin” (Victory of Religion Over the Infidels), was edited by scholar Mohamed Rezouk and documents Afuqai’s experience as a Church translator before he fled to Morocco for fear of persecution. “The manuscript is truly a historical document,” Aourid explained, “but it was a raw material that needed to be carefully adapted to become a compelling novel.”
When writing the French version, Aourid explained, he filled in historical gaps, especially regarding the lives of Muslims in Andalusia prior to their expulsion.
“The original text doesn’t provide much detail, so I conducted further research to flesh out their experiences under the Inquisition. Then, when Afuqai migrated to Morocco, I had to imagine aspects of his life, though it’s known he served as a translator for Sultan Ahmed al-Mansour,” he said.
Finally, Aourid noted that when “The Morisco” was later selected for Jordanian educational programs, he initially felt uneasy about teaching a translated text.
However, he clarified: “Al-Faqih is not a translation. I am the original author, and I have adapted it into Arabic myself. I maintained the spirit of the original text but reshaped the language to feel genuinely Arabic, to showcase the beauty of the language and to dispel any sense of it being merely a translation.”
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