A conservative local government in the Spanish town of Jumilla has ignited fierce debate by becoming the first municipality in Spain to ban Muslim religious festivals from being held in public spaces, prompting accusations of discrimination and warnings of constitutional violations.
The town council of Jumilla, a small agricultural community of approximately 27,000 residents in Murcia, southeastern Spain, voted to prohibit “municipal sports facilities from being used for religious, cultural or social activities alien to our identity unless organised by the local authority.” The measure specifically targets Muslim celebrations including Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.
The controversial proposal was put forward by the conservative Partido Popular (People’s Party), known as PP, and passed with abstention from the far-right Vox party. Local left-leaning parties, including the Socialist Party (PSOE) and Podemos, opposed the measure, denouncing it as discriminatory and unconstitutional.
The measure remains merely a proposal at this stage and must now advance to the regional government of Murcia for debate and further voting. Spanish newspaper El Mundo reports that the political composition of the regional legislature makes approval highly unlikely, effectively ruling out any chance of the proposal becoming law.
Vox has strategically backed similar initiatives across Spain, but the Jumilla vote marks the first successful passage of such a measure. The party recently saw a similar proposal rejected by Zaragoza city council and has filed comparable motions in the regional government of Aragon in northern Spain.
The local Vox party account celebrated the vote on social media platform X, proclaiming: “Jumilla makes history. Thanks to Vox, the first measure in Spain has been approved that prevents the celebration of Islamic festivals in public spaces. Spain is and will forever be a land of Christian roots!” The post, which included a link to a since-removed article from right-wing news site La Gaceta, was subsequently shared by the national party account.
Just over 7 per cent of Jumilla’s population comes from countries with large Muslim populations, slightly higher than Spain’s overall Muslim population estimated at approximately 5 per cent. Many residents work in the surrounding vineyards, with the town noted amongst wine enthusiasts for the quality of its produce despite not being a mainstream tourist destination.
Mounir Benjelloun Andaloussi Azhari, President of the Spanish Federation of Islamic Organizations, condemned the proposal as “Islamophobic and discriminatory” in an interview with El País newspaper. “They’re not going after other religions; they’re going after ours. We’re rather surprised by what’s happening in Spain. For the first time in 30 years, I feel afraid,” he stated.
The ban comes barely a month after violent anti-migrant protests erupted in Torre Pacheco, another town in Murcia located approximately 70 miles from Jumilla. The July incidents, which left several people injured, were sparked by social media posts calling for “revenge” following an assault on an elderly Spanish resident.
Spain’s constitution explicitly guarantees freedom of religion under Article 16, which states: “Freedom of ideology, religion and worship of individuals and communities is guaranteed, with no other restriction on their expression than may be necessary to maintain public order as protected by law.” The article also specifies that “no religion shall have a state character.”
According to Spanish government data from 2023, nearly 52 per cent of the population identify as Roman Catholic, though 36.6 per cent consider themselves “non-practising.” Approximately 39 per cent of Spaniards identified as atheist, irreligious, or agnostic, whilst Muslims constitute an estimated 2.4 per cent of the population, totalling approximately 2.4 million people.
The targeted Islamic festivals include Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan when observant Muslims fast, and Eid al-Adha, which commemorates the end of the annual Hajj pilgrimage season. These celebrations have been held in Jumilla’s public facilities for years without incident, with up to 1,500 Muslim residents participating in communal prayers.
Mari Carmen Cruz Vicente, Jumilla’s deputy mayor, attempted to downplay the controversy, telling El Debate that no explicit reference to Islam or Muslims appears in the approved language. She insisted the measure merely seeks to limit public sports facilities to athletic use or municipally organised events.
Former socialist mayor Juana Guardiola challenged this interpretation, asking: “What do they mean by identity? And what about the centuries of Muslim legacy here?” Her comments reference Spain’s complex Islamic history, with large portions of the Iberian Peninsula, including Murcia, under Moorish Muslim rule from the 8th century until the Reconquista concluded with Granada’s surrender to Catholic forces in 1492.
The Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE), representing the Catholic Church, weighed in on the controversy, stating: “Public religious demonstrations, understood as freedom of worship, are protected by the right to religious freedom, a fundamental human right protected by the Spanish Constitution in its Article 16.1.”
Legal experts predict inevitable constitutional challenges to the ban. Víctor Egío, communications secretary for Podemos in Murcia, announced the party would take the matter to the Prosecutor’s Office, stating: “Public spaces belong to everyone: Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, and those who identify with no religion. Article 14 of the Constitution prohibits any type of discrimination based on birth, sex, or religion.”
The controversy has exposed deeper tensions within Spanish society regarding immigration, integration, and national identity. These issues have gained prominence following recent incidents of anti-migrant violence and the rise of far-right political movements across Europe.
Francisco Lucas, regional leader of Spain’s Socialist Party in Murcia, condemned the vote as an act of “irresponsibility,” warning that the policy could violate Spain’s constitution and risk provoking social fractures. “They have learned nothing from what happened in Torre Pacheco. They continue to fuel hatred and provoke a social fracture with unpredictable consequences,” he stated.
The timing of the vote has raised questions about political motivations, with observers noting that Jumilla’s PP-controlled council relies on a single Vox councillor for its majority. The municipal budget requires approval in coming days, necessitating Vox’s support, leading critics to suggest the measure represents political horse-trading rather than genuine policy conviction.
For Spain’s Muslim community, which has grown from approximately 2.1 per cent of the population in 2010 to 2.4 per cent in 2023, the Jumilla decision represents a troubling precedent. Many had assumed their constitutional rights were secure after decades of peaceful coexistence following Spain’s transition to democracy in 1978.
The ban’s broader implications for religious freedom, constitutional democracy, and social cohesion will likely reverberate across Spain for years to come. As the country grapples with questions of identity, integration, and religious tolerance, the small agricultural town of Jumilla has unwittingly positioned itself at the centre of a national debate about what it means to be Spanish in the 21st century.
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