Join on WhatsApp
Join on Telegram
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.
