JUMILLA, Spain (BN24) — A town in southeastern Spain has enacted a controversial ban preventing Muslims from using public facilities to celebrate Eid, sparking outrage from religious leaders and concerns over constitutional rights.
The municipality of Jumilla, located in the Murcia region and home to approximately 27,000 residents, passed the measure with support from Spain’s conservative People’s Party (PP) and the far-right Vox party. The new rule prohibits the use of public spaces—including civic centers and sports halls—for “religious, cultural or social activities alien to our identity,” unless officially sanctioned by the local government.
The move effectively blocks local Muslims from gathering in municipal facilities for religious events such as Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan, and Eid al-Adha, the Islamic festival of sacrifice.
The decision comes just weeks after violent anti-migrant protests erupted in the nearby town of Torre Pacheco, about 70 miles away, where a 68-year-old Spanish man claimed he was assaulted by three young Moroccan men. The incident intensified anti-immigration sentiment in the region.
Vox, which has gained traction for its nationalist and anti-immigration rhetoric, celebrated the Jumilla ban on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. “Thanks to Vox, the first measure to ban Islamic festivals in Spain’s public spaces has been passed,” the party wrote. “Spain is and will be forever the land of Christian people.”
Muslim leaders have condemned the policy as discriminatory and unconstitutional. Mounir Benjelloun Andaloussi Azhari, president of the Spanish Federation of Islamic Organisations, called the move “Islamophobic and discriminatory,” arguing that it specifically targets the Muslim community.
“They’re not going after other religions—they’re going after ours,” he said in an interview with El País. “We’re rather surprised by what’s happening in Spain. For the first time in 30 years, I feel afraid.”
Critics argue the ban may violate Article 16 of the Spanish Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religious belief, limited only by the need to maintain public order. Legal experts suggest the policy could face a constitutional challenge in court.
Political leaders from Spain’s Socialist Party also spoke out against the decision. Francisco Lucas, the Socialist leader in the Murcia region, accused the PP of fueling division. “The PP violates the constitution and puts social cohesion at risk simply in the pursuit of power,” he said on X.
Former Jumilla mayor Juana Guardiola questioned the cultural implications of the ruling, referencing Spain’s centuries-long Islamic history. “What do they mean by identity?” she asked. “And what about the centuries of Muslim legacy here?”
As the debate intensifies, Jumilla becomes the first Spanish town to officially restrict Muslim religious observances in public spaces—a move critics say marks a troubling shift in Spain’s commitment to religious freedom and multiculturalism.
