‘Islamophobic’: Spanish town’s ban on religious gatherings sparks criticism

The ban, primitively projected by far-right Vox party, affects Muslims celebrating spiritual holidays successful sports centres successful Jumilla.

A prohibition imposed by a southeastern Spanish municipality connected spiritual gatherings successful nationalist sports centres, which volition chiefly impact members of the section Muslim community, has sparked disapproval from the left-wing authorities and a United Nations official.

Spain’s Migration Minister Elma Saiz said connected Friday that the ban, approved by the blimpish section authorities of Jumilla past week, was “shameful”, urging section leaders to “take a measurement back” and apologise to residents.

The ban, approved by the mayor’s centre-right Popular Party, would beryllium enacted successful sports centres utilized by section Muslims successful caller years to observe spiritual holidays similar Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.

It was primitively projected by the far-right Vox party, with amendments passed earlier approval. Earlier this week, Vox’s subdivision successful the Murcia portion celebrated the measure, saying connected X that “Spain is and ever volition beryllium a onshore of Christian roots!”

The town’s mayor, Seve Gonzalez, told Spain’s El Pais paper that the measurement did not azygous retired immoderate 1 radical and that her authorities wanted to “promote taste campaigns that support our identity”.

But Mohamed El Ghaidouni, caput of the Union of Islamic Communities of Spain, said it amounted to “institutionalised Islamophobia”, taking contented with the section government’s assertion that the Muslim festivals celebrated successful the centres were “foreign to the town’s identity”.

The ban, helium said, “clashes with the institutions of the Spanish state” that support spiritual freedom.

Saiz told Spain’s Antena 3 broadcaster that policies similar the prohibition successful Jumilla harm “citizens who person been surviving for decades successful our towns, successful our cities, successful our country, contributing and perfectly integrated without immoderate problems of coexistence”.

Separately, Miguel Moratinos, the UN peculiar envoy to combat Islamophobia, said helium was “shocked” by the City Council of Jumilla’s determination and expressed “deep interest astir the emergence successful xenophobic rhetoric and Islamophobic sentiments successful immoderate regions successful Spain”.

I americium shocked by the determination of the City Council of Jumilla to prohibition spiritual rituals and/or celebrations successful municipal facilities successful the municipality of Jumilla, portion of Murcia, Spain.

🔗 Full Statement ⬇️https://t.co/WHADpxgITo pic.twitter.com/Rd92XMdpVF

— Miguel Ángel Moratinos (@MiguelMoratinos) August 8, 2025

“The determination undermines the close to state of thought, conscience, and religion” arsenic enshrined successful the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, helium said successful a connection connected Friday.

“Policies that azygous retired oregon disproportionately impact 1 assemblage airs a menace to societal cohesion and erode the rule of surviving unneurotic successful peace,” helium added.

Far-right clashes with locals

For centuries, Spain was ruled by Muslims, whose power is contiguous some successful the Spanish connection and successful galore of the country’s astir celebrated landmarks, including Granada’s famed Moorish Alhambra Palace.

Islamic regularisation ended successful 1492 erstwhile the past Arab kingdom successful Spain fell to the Catholics.

The prohibition stipulates that municipal sports facilities tin lone beryllium utilized for diversion activities oregon events organised by section authorities. Under nary circumstance, it said, tin the centre beryllium utilized for “cultural, societal oregon spiritual activities overseas to the City Council”.

Its instauration follows clashes betwixt far-right groups and residents and migrants that erupted past period successful the confederate Murcia portion aft an aged nonmigratory successful the municipality of Torre-Pacheco was beaten up by assailants believed to beryllium of Moroccan origin.

Right-wing governments elsewhere successful Europe person passed measures akin to the prohibition successful Jumilla, striking astatine the bosom of ongoing debates crossed the continent astir nationalism and spiritual and taste pluralism.

Last twelvemonth successful Monfalcone, a ample concern larboard metropolis successful northeastern Italy with a important Bangladeshi migrant population, far-right politician Anna Maria Cisint banned prayers successful a taste centre.

The determination led to protests involving immoderate 8,000 people, and the city’s Muslim assemblage is appealing it successful a determination court.

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies