Spanish town ordered to lift ban on religious gatherings
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Spain’s central government has ordered the town of Jumilla to scrap a ban on religious gatherings in public sports centers, claiming it is discriminatory against Muslims and a violation of religious freedom.
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A Spanish flag flies at half-staff on the roof of the City Hall in Madrid, Spain, on May 23, 2017. (AP)
Spain’s central government has instructed the council of Jumilla, a town in the Murcia region, to scrap its ban on religious gatherings in public sports centres, calling it a "discriminatory" move that violates the constitutional right to religious freedom.
Minister for Territorial Policy Angel Victor Torres said on Monday there could be "no half-measures when it comes to intolerance" and that political parties "cannot decide who has freedom of worship and who does not."
The conservative-led Jumilla council approved the ban last week, removing explicit mention of Eid al-Adha from an original far-right Vox proposal but prohibiting any "cultural, social or religious activities foreign to the city council" in municipal sports facilities.
Muslim residents, about 1,500 of the town’s 27,000 inhabitants, have used these venues for years to celebrate Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. The measure, pushed by Vox in exchange for supporting the People’s Party (PP) mayor’s budget, was widely viewed as targeting the Muslim community.
Outcry from religious and community groups
The move drew condemnation from across Spain. The head of a leading Muslim association described it as "institutionalised Islamophobia," while Migration Minister Elma Saiz called it "shameful" and pointed to Muslims’ long-standing economic and cultural contributions to the country.
The Catholic Church also condemned the ban as incompatible with religious freedom, and the Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain called it a "serious democratic setback."
Critics say the measure reflects the growing influence of the far-right, with the PP accused of compromising with Vox to maintain political support. Torres said the decision undermined Spain’s image and harmed decades of peaceful coexistence.
Mounir Benjelloun Andaloussi Azhari, president of the Spanish Federation of Islamic Religious Entities, warned that the move was part of a wider political strategy to win votes by stoking division.
The controversy comes weeks after unrest in Torre-Pacheco, about 100 km from Jumilla, where vigilante groups targeted people of foreign origin following an assault on an elderly resident. Government tracking showed racist messaging on social media surged by 1,500% after the incident.
The central government has given Jumilla one month to respond to its order to lift the ban, warning that legal options will be explored if the town fails to comply.
