Latest news with #religiousgatherings
Al Jazeera
08-08-2025
- 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
08-08-2025
- 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.
Arab News
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Pakistan asks distribution companies to ensure uninterrupted power supply to facilitate Muharram gatherings
iSLAMABAD: Pakistan's Energy Ministry on Sunday directed senior officials of distribution companies (DISCOs) to ensure uninterrupted power supply to facilitate religious gatherings next month during Muharram. Thousands of Pakistanis every year during the Islamic month of Muharram take part in religious gatherings and processions to pay tribute to Imam Hussain, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), who was martyred in the Battle of Karbala. In its letter, the ministry said Muharram is falling in July when heat waves are expected in many parts of the country. 'It is very much imperative that all necessary measures are taken to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply to facilitate these religious gatherings and avoid any inconvenience to the public,' the letter said. The ministry urged DISCOs to conduct thorough inspections of all transmission and distribution networks, particularly in areas where religious gatherings and processions are expected to take place. It also directed the companies to deploy dedicated emergency response teams on high alert throughout Muharram, especially on the 9th and 10th of Muharram when the main processions take place, to address any power disruptions immediately. The ministry instructed DISCOs to communicate with consumers, especially mosques and imambargahs, regarding any scheduled maintenance or potential load management measures to minimize inconvenience. 'Assign duty rosters to ensure 24/7 availability of technical and operational staff during Muharram to respond swiftly to any power-related issues,' the letter read. 'The sanctity of Muharram demands our utmost commitment to serving the public with diligence and respect,' it said. 'Any negligence in this regard will be viewed seriously.' The Energy Ministry directed DISCOs to submit a compliance report to the Power Division regarding the measures taken in this regard. Thousands of people suffer from power outages, lasting several hours each day, during the summers every year in Pakistan. Pakistan suffers from an energy crisis that stems largely from a gap in its energy supplies and electricity demand. The cash-strapped country lacks adequate resources to run its oil-and-gas-powered plants and imports most of its energy needs.
