Spanish town bans Muslim religious festivals deemed ‘alien to identity' in ‘first of its kind' ruling
FESTIVAL ROW Spanish town bans Muslim religious festivals deemed 'alien to identity' in 'first of its kind' ruling
A SPANISH town has banned Muslims from using public facilities to celebrate religious Eid festivals deemed "alien" to their identity.
The ban was passed in Jumilla, in Murica, which has reportedly become the first town in the country to implement the rule.
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A Spanish town has become the first of its kind to ban Muslims from using public facilities to celebrate Eid festivals
Credit: Alamy
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The ban was passed in Jumilla, in Murica (stock)
Credit: Alamy
The town's proposal states 'municipal sports facilities cannot be used for religious, cultural or social activities alien to our identity unless organised by the local authority'.
The move prevents Muslims in Jumilla from gathering in public gyms or civic buildings to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan.
It also bars Muslims from gathering to celebrate Eid al-Adha, the Islamic festival of sacrifice.
Jumilla has a population of around 27,000, and roughly 7.5 per cent of the residents come from predominantly Muslim countries.
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In response to the ban, the Spanish Government said it would investigate Jumilla City Council's decision.
The Ministry of Inclusion and Migration announced that they would "closely monitor" any hate speech which may stem from the new move.
Experts said the motion could face a legal challenge, as Article 16 of Spain's constitution grants freedom of religious belief - the only exception to this being the protection of public order.
The motion was proposed by Spain's conservative People's Party (PP), and it was backed by the hard right Vox party.
It comes less than a month after several people were injured during anti-migrant rioting in Torre Pacheco, just 70 miles from Jumilla.
The riots came after a 68-year-old pensioner told media he was beaten up in the street by three Moroccan men.
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The new ban has been blasted by critics, with some saying the law's wording is an attack on Islamic traditions.
President of the Spanish Federation of Islamic Organisations Mounir Benjelloun Andaloussi Azhari said the ban was a direct attack on the country's Muslim population.
He branded the move "Islamophobic and discriminatory".
"They're not going after other religions, they're going after ours," the president told local media.
Referring to the recent rise of racist rhetoric and attacks, He added that the recent rise of racist rhetoric and attacks had made him "afraid".
"We're rather surprised by what's happening in Spain. For the first time in 30 years I feel afraid," he explained.
Meanwhile, the local Vox party celebrated the decision.
They said on X: "Thanks to Vox the first measure to ban Islamic festivals in Spain's public spaces has been passed.
"Spain is and will be forever the land of Christian people."
The socialist leader in Murcia Francisco Lucas said: "The PP violates the constitution and puts social cohesion as risk simply in the pursuit of power."
Jumilla was once part of the Roman Empire before falling under Arab rule in the eigth century, when it became known as Yumil-la.
It stayed mainly Arab for centuries until Christian forces led by Alfonso X of Castile took control in the mid 13th century.
The local Arab ruler reached an agreement, known as the capitulations of Alcatraz, which stated that Alfonso could be king as long as the existing population kept their rights.
But shortly after Alfonso's death Castile invaded Jumilla and ended Arab rule.
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