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Morocco World
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Morocco World
Far-Right Ban on Muslim Holiday Prayers in Spanish Town Fuels Islamophobia Debate
Rabat — A far-right Vox proposal led the conservative Popular Party (PP) in Jumilla, southeastern Spain, to ban religious gatherings in public sports centers last week. The move targets Muslim celebrations like Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, sparking fierce criticism from Spain's left-wing government and international human rights advocates. Spain's Migration Minister, Elma Saiz, slammed the ban as 'shameful.' She called on Jumilla's leaders to reverse the decision and apologize to the community. Saiz stressed that Muslim residents have lived peacefully in Spanish towns for decades, contributing to society and integrating without conflict. She warned that policies like this risk alienating people who have long been part of the social fabric. The ban prohibits all cultural, social, or religious activities in municipal sports facilities. It effectively stops Muslims from holding important holiday celebrations in spaces they have used for years. The controversy has attracted international attention. Miguel Moratinos, the UN special envoy to combat Islamophobia, expressed 'shock' at Jumilla's decision. He said the ban undermines fundamental rights, including freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, as outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Jumilla's ban comes amid a growing wave of Islamophobia across parts of Europe, where far-right groups have increasingly pushed policies targeting Muslim communities. Countries like Spain, France, Netherlands, and others, have seen similar movies restricting religious expression, often also sparking fierce debates over national identity, integration, and religious freedom. Recently, Spain has witnessed a troubling rise in racist and Islamophobic attacks targeting Muslim and migrant communities, sparked by the assault of a 68-year-old man in Torre Pacheco, southeastern Spain. The Vox party has escalated tensions with sharp anti-migrant and Islamophobic rhetoric, fueling social media posts and protests that call for the 'hunt' of North African migrants, particularly Moroccans, whom they blame for the attack. Amid ongoing investigations and arrests related to the incident, Vox and aligned far-right media have organized demonstrations, shouting Islamophobic slogans and inciting hostility and violence toward migrant communities across the country. Tags: IslamophobiaMuslimsSpainVox
Al Jazeera
3 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
‘Islamophobic': Spanish town's ban on religious gatherings sparks criticism
A ban imposed by a southeastern Spanish town on religious gatherings in public sports centres, which will mainly affect members of the local Muslim community, has sparked criticism from the left-wing government and a United Nations official. Spain's Migration Minister Elma Saiz said on Friday that the ban, approved by the conservative local government of Jumilla last week, was 'shameful', urging local leaders to 'take a step back' and apologise to residents. The ban, approved by the mayor's centre-right Popular Party, would be enacted in sports centres used by local Muslims in recent years to celebrate religious holidays like Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. It was originally proposed by the far-right Vox party, with amendments passed before approval. Earlier this week, Vox's branch in the Murcia region celebrated the measure, saying on X that 'Spain is and always will be a land of Christian roots!' The town's mayor, Seve Gonzalez, told Spain's El Pais newspaper that the measure did not single out any one group and that her government wanted to 'promote cultural campaigns that defend our identity'. But Mohamed El Ghaidouni, secretary of the Union of Islamic Communities of Spain, said it amounted to 'institutionalised Islamophobia', taking issue with the local government's assertion that the Muslim festivals celebrated in the centres were 'foreign to the town's identity'. The ban, he said, 'clashes with the institutions of the Spanish state' that protect religious freedom. Saiz told Spain's Antena 3 broadcaster that policies like the ban in Jumilla harm 'citizens who have been living for decades in our towns, in our cities, in our country, contributing and perfectly integrated without any problems of coexistence'. Separately, Miguel Moratinos, the UN special envoy to combat Islamophobia, said he was 'shocked' by the City Council of Jumilla's decision and expressed 'deep concern about the rise in xenophobic rhetoric and Islamophobic sentiments in some regions in Spain'. I am shocked by the decision of the City Council of Jumilla to ban religious rituals and/or celebrations in municipal facilities in the municipality of Jumilla, region of Murcia, Spain. 🔗 Full Statement ⬇️ — Miguel Ángel Moratinos (@MiguelMoratinos) August 8, 2025 'The decision undermines the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion' as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, he said in a statement on Friday. 'Policies that single out or disproportionately affect one community pose a threat to social cohesion and erode the principle of living together in peace,' he added. Far-right clashes with locals For centuries, Spain was ruled by Muslims, whose influence is present both in the Spanish language and in many of the country's most celebrated landmarks, including Granada's famed Moorish Alhambra Palace. Islamic rule ended in 1492 when the last Arab kingdom in Spain fell to the Catholics. The ban stipulates that municipal sports facilities can only be used for athletic activities or events organised by local authorities. Under no circumstance, it said, can the centre be used for 'cultural, social or religious activities foreign to the City Council'. Its introduction follows clashes between far-right groups and residents and migrants that erupted last month in the southern Murcia region after an elderly resident in the town of Torre-Pacheco was beaten up by assailants believed to be of Moroccan origin. Right-wing governments elsewhere in Europe have passed measures similar to the ban in Jumilla, striking at the heart of ongoing debates across the continent about nationalism and religious and cultural pluralism. Last year in Monfalcone, a large industrial port city in northeastern Italy with a significant Bangladeshi immigrant population, far-right mayor Anna Maria Cisint banned prayers in a cultural centre. The move led to protests involving some 8,000 people, and the city's Muslim community is appealing it in a regional court.
Arab News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
A Spanish town's ban on religious gatherings in sports centers becomes a flashpoint
MADRID: Spain's government on Friday criticized a ban enacted in a southeastern town that prohibits religious gatherings in public sports centers, a measure that will mainly affect members of the town's Muslim community who in recent years have used the spaces to celebrate religious holidays. The ban — approved last week by the conservative local government of Jumilla, a town of 27,000 — has since become a flashpoint. Its critics, including Spain's leftwing national government, have condemned the measure as discriminatory while some on the right are celebrating it as a means to uphold the nation's Christian culture. Spain's Migration Minister Elma Saiz said on Friday the ban was 'shameful,' and urged local leaders to 'take a step back' and apologize to local residents. Saiz told Spain's Antena 3 broadcaster that the measure is 'attacking and harming people, citizens who have been living for decades in our towns, in our cities, in our country, contributing and perfectly integrated without any problems of coexistence.' The ban is the latest controversy involving Spain's hot-button issues of immigration and multi-culturalism, following clashes last month in the southern Murcia region between far-right groups and local residents and migrants. They erupted after an elderly resident in the town of Torre-Pacheco was beaten up by assailants believed to be of Moroccan origin, which prompted far-right groups to call for retribution on the area's large migrant population. Conservative officials in Jumilla, an agriculture-based economy of rolling vineyards, olive and almond trees, defended the ban on Friday. The town's mayor Seve González told Spain's El País newspaper that the measure did not single out any one group and that her government's wanted to 'promote cultural campaigns that defend our identity.' The measure was initially proposed by the far-right Vox party and then amended and approved by the center-right Popular Party, to which the mayor belongs. It stipulates that municipal sports facilities — where the town's Muslim community has held religious celebrations — cannot be used for cultural, social or religious activities unrelated to the city council. Mohamed El Ghaidouni, secretary of the Union of Islamic Communities of Spain that represents more than 900 Muslim communities in the country, called the ban 'institutionalized Islamophobia.' He criticized the local government's justification for the motion and its allegation that two main Muslim festivals traditionally celebrated in the sports centers — Eid Al-Fitr, which marks the end of Islamic holy month of Ramadan, and Eid Al-Adha, or 'Feast of the Sacrifice' — were 'foreign to the town's identity.' The ban, he added, 'clashes with the institutions of the Spanish state' that protect religious freedom. Vox's branch in the Murcia region celebrated it, saying Wednesday on X that 'Spain is and always will be a land of Christian roots!' 'We must protect public spaces from practices foreign to our culture and our way of life,' the party's leader Santiago Abascal wrote Friday, adding that 'Spain is not Al Andalus,' referencing the historic name for Islamic Spain. For centuries, Spain was ruled by Muslims, whose influence is present both in the Spanish language and in many of the country's most celebrated landmarks, including Granada's famed Moorish Alhambra Palace. Islamic rule ended in 1492 when the last Arab kingdom in Spain fell to the Catholics. Right-wing governments elsewhere in Europe have passed measures similar to the ban in Jumilla, striking at the heart of ongoing debates about nationalism and religious pluralism. Last year in Monfalcone, a large industrial port city in northeastern Italy with a significant Bangladeshi immigrant population, its far-right mayor, Anna Maria Cisint, banned prayers outside of places of worship. The move led to protests involving some 8,000 people. The city's Muslim community is appealing the ban in a regional court.
News18
3 days ago
- Politics
- News18
Spanish towns ban on religious gatherings in sports centres becomes flashpoint
Madrid, Aug 8 (AP) Spain's government on Friday criticised a ban enacted in a southeastern town that prohibits religious gatherings in public sports centres, a measure that will mainly affect members of the town's Muslim community who in recent years have used the spaces to celebrate religious holidays. The ban — approved last week by the conservative local government of Jumilla, a town of 27,000 — has since become a flashpoint. Its critics, including Spain's leftwing national government, have condemned the measure as discriminatory while some on the right are celebrating it as a means to uphold the nation's Christian culture. Spain's Migration Minister Elma Saiz said on Friday the ban was 'shameful," and urged local leaders to 'take a step back" and apologise to local residents. Saiz told Spain's Antena 3 broadcaster that the measure is 'attacking and harming people, citizens who have been living for decades in our towns, in our cities, in our country, contributing and perfectly integrated without any problems of coexistence". The ban is the latest controversy involving Spain's hot-button issues of immigration and multi-culturalism, following clashes last month in the southern Murcia region between far-right groups and local residents and migrants. They erupted after an elderly resident in the town of Torre-Pacheco was beaten up by assailants believed to be of Moroccan origin, which prompted far-right groups to call for retribution on the area's large migrant population. The town's mayor Seve González told Spain's El País newspaper that the measure did not single out any one group and that her government's wanted to 'promote cultural campaigns that defend our identity". The measure was initially proposed by the far-right Vox party and then amended and approved by the centre-right Popular Party, to which the mayor belongs. It stipulates that municipal sports facilities — where the town's Muslim community has held religious celebrations — cannot be used for cultural, social or religious activities unrelated to the city council. Mohamed El Ghaidouni, secretary of the Union of Islamic Communities of Spain that represents more than 900 Muslim communities in the country, called the ban 'institutionalised Islamophobia". He criticised the local government's justification for the motion and its allegation that two main Muslim festivals traditionally celebrated in the sports centres — Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Islamic holy month of Ramadan, and Eid al-Adha, or 'Feast of the Sacrifice" — were 'foreign to the town's identity". The ban, he added, 'clashes with the institutions of the Spanish state" that protect religious freedom. Vox's branch in the Murcia region celebrated it, saying Wednesday on X that 'Spain is and always will be a land of Christian roots!" 'We must protect public spaces from practices foreign to our culture and our way of life," the party's leader Santiago Abascal wrote Friday, adding that 'Spain is not Al Andalus," referencing the historic name for Islamic Spain. For centuries, Spain was ruled by Muslims, whose influence is present both in the Spanish language and in many of the country's most celebrated landmarks, including Granada's famed Moorish Alhambra Palace. Islamic rule ended in 1492 when the last Arab kingdom in Spain fell to the Catholics. Right-wing governments elsewhere in Europe have passed measures similar to the ban in Jumilla, striking at the heart of ongoing debates about nationalism and religious pluralism. Last year in Monfalcone, a large industrial port city in northeastern Italy with a significant Bangladeshi immigrant population, its far-right mayor, Anna Maria Cisint, banned prayers outside of places of worship. The move led to protests involving some 8,000 people. The city's Muslim community is appealing the ban in a regional court. (AP) SCY SCY (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: August 08, 2025, 22:30 IST News agency-feeds Spanish towns ban on religious gatherings in sports centres becomes flashpoint Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Morocco World
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
Spain Calls for United Action Amid Spike in Online Hate Against North Africans
Rabat – Spain has launched an appeal calling for a united action to end the threat to social cohesion amid hate speech targeting North Africans, particularly Moroccans. The disturbing wave of violence against North Africans, including Moroccans, has been ongoing since last week in Torre Pacheco in southeastern Spain, after an isolated assault against a Spanish retiree. The Spanish Observatory on Racism and Xenophobia, under the Ministry of Inclusion, published a June monthly report, monitoring hate speech on social media. The report said that the AI-based system FARO detected over 54,000 instances of hate speech during this period, noting a 12-point increase in hate messages targeting people from North Africa. This shows an increase from 69% in May to 81% in June of all reported content, noting that the wave of hostility coincides with various sociopolitical and sporting events like riots following the Champions League final. Minister of Inclusion Elma Saiz described the use of violence and coded language as dehumanization, recalling the intention to expel vulnerable communities, adding that similar acts are intolerable forms of discrimination. 'We cannot allow hatred to become normalized in a free and democratic society like Spain,' she said. The report highlighted that 56% of the detected content involves dehumanization, while 22% falsely associates the targeted groups with public insecurity, and 14% directly incite their expulsion. The Spanish government cited a partnership between the Ministry of Inclusion and LaLiga, enabling the use of the FARO system. Despite the tool, only 29% of the reported posts were removed by platforms, including TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and X. In July, meanwhile, platforms removed only 8% of reported content from users. 'We need more proactive collaboration from digital platforms,' Saiz said, noting that the response cannot rely on chance or goodwill. 'All platforms must take responsibility for a real and growing threat to social cohesion,' she concluded. Several reports highlighted how parties, including far-right groups, fuel tension and anti-migrant hate as well as Islamophobia. A report by OHCHR said that political leaders 'who only openly use Islamophobia in their public discourses usually belong to far-right Vox or right-wing PP.' Xenophobic hate speech against North African migrants and, more specifically, against migrant unaccompanied minors is mostly used as a political tool by the far-right, it concluded. Tags: African MigrantsMoroccan migrants
