Spain’s central government has ordered the council of Jumilla in the Murcia region to overturn its ban on religious gatherings in public sports centres, calling the measure discriminatory and a breach of the right to religious freedom.
Ángel Víctor Torres, the minister for territorial policy, said intolerance could not be tolerated in any form and stressed that opposition parties could not decide who has freedom of worship.
The controversy began after the conservative-led council of Jumilla, a town of about 27,000 people, approved the ban. For years, Muslim residents had used the facilities for Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha celebrations, leading many to believe the move targeted the town’s estimated 1,500 Muslims.
The proposal originated from the far-right Vox party, which initially demanded an outright ban on public Eid al-Adha celebrations. The People’s Party later backed a watered-down version that removed direct reference to Eid but prohibited the use of municipal sports facilities for any cultural, social, or religious activity not organised by the council. Vox had made its support for the town’s budget conditional on passing the measure.
Muslim groups condemned the move as institutionalised Islamophobia, while Spain’s migration minister, Elma Saiz, called it shameful. Saiz highlighted that foreigners made up 20% of those contributing to social security in Jumilla and played a crucial role in sustaining its agriculture-based economy. She dismissed claims that the ban was about protecting Spanish identity, pointing to the nation’s long Muslim heritage.
The Catholic church also criticised the decision, describing it as incompatible with religious freedom. The Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain called it a serious democratic setback. Vox leader Santiago Abascal expressed surprise at the Catholic church’s opposition, suggesting it could be due to the church’s dependence on public funding or scandals.
The central government has given the council a month to respond to its order. If the council refuses, Madrid will consider other legal actions.
The dispute comes amid growing tensions in the region. In nearby Torre-Pacheco, unrest broke out recently when groups armed with batons targeted people of foreign origin after an elderly man was attacked. Authorities reported a 1,500% rise in racist social media posts following the incident.
Mounir Benjelloun Andaloussi Azhari, president of the Spanish Federation of Islamic Religious Entities, warned that the far right’s actions were aimed at gaining votes by spreading division and fear. He said he had never before felt so persecuted in his three decades in Spain, calling the situation damaging to the country’s image and unity.
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