US EditionSpanish town bans Muslim festivals in public spaces
JUMILLA, MURCIA, SPAIN, AUG 11 – Jumilla's ban on Muslim festivals in public spaces affects about 1,500 local Muslims and follows recent regional tensions and racist-fuelled riots, raising constitutional and discrimination concerns.
- Last week, Jumilla council passed a measure banning Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha celebrations in municipal sports venues, citing preservation of local values.
- The far-right Vox party proposed a ban on Islamic festivities, which failed in Murcia but gained support in Jumilla, leading to new restrictions.
- Members of Jumilla’s Muslim community said they were 'shocked' and 'devastated', with Mohamed El Ghaidouni calling the ban 'institutionalized Islamophobia' and Ihaba Fahmi urging for alternative spaces.
- On Friday, Spain's ombudsman Angel Gabilondo said he is reviewing Jumilla local authority's ban on Muslim celebrations in public facilities.
- Following nationwide outcry, Spain's central government ordered Jumilla to reverse its ban on religious celebrations, citing violations of fundamental rights and constitutional protections.
129 Articles
129 Articles
The Local - Es
Spain orders town to scrap motion restricting Muslim festivities
Spain's leftist government on Monday ordered a town to drop a ban on religious celebrations in municipal sports facilities, a measure critics say was aimed at blocking longstanding Muslim festivities.
The executive of Pedro Sánchez tries to make a decision in the city of Murcia which prohibits Muslim celebrations. The government considers it to be against religious freedom and has a "discriminatory intention".
The controversy is very strong after the decision of the extreme right in the municipality of Jumilla, Murcia, to no longer give up its municipal spaces for the religious celebrations of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, and Eid al-Kebir, the feast of the sacrifice of the sheep. After the support of the episcopate to the Muslims, the leader of the far right Vox is taking it from the Church.
With the ban, the right-wing populist party has succeeded in a coup.
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