A controversial decision by local authorities in Jumilla, a town in south-east Spain, has sparked national outrage after it banned Muslims from using public facilities—such as civic centres and gyms—for celebrating religious festivals Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.
The move, the first of its kind in Spain, was introduced by the conservative People’s Party (PP) and passed with abstention from the far-right Vox party, despite opposition from local left-wing parties.
According to the proposal, “municipal sports facilities cannot be used for religious, cultural or social activities alien to our identity unless organised by the local authority.”
Vox celebrated the measure on X, posting:
“Thanks to Vox, the first measure to ban Islamic festivals in Spain’s public spaces has been passed. Spain is and will be forever the land of Christian people.”
Backlash from Spain’s Muslim Community
Mounir Benjelloun Andaloussi Azhari, president of the Spanish Federation of Islamic Organisations, condemned the measure as “Islamophobic and discriminatory.”
“They’re not going after other religions, they’re going after ours,” he told El País.
“For the first time in 30 years, I feel afraid.”
Jumilla, with a population of around 27,000, is home to a Muslim minority that makes up 7.5% of the residents—mostly immigrants from Muslim-majority countries.
Legal and Historical Concerns
The ruling is expected to face legal challenges for violating Article 16 of the Spanish Constitution, which guarantees:
“Freedom of ideology, religion and worship of individuals and communities… with no other restriction on their expression than may be necessary to maintain public order as protected by law.”
Francisco Lucas, socialist leader in Murcia, criticized the decision on X:
“The PP violates the constitution and puts social cohesion at risk simply in the pursuit of power.”
Former Jumilla mayor Juana Guardiola added:
“What do they mean by identity? And what about the centuries of Muslim legacy here?”
A Town with Deep Muslim Roots
Jumilla’s rich history reflects centuries of Muslim presence. It was part of the Roman Empire and later the Visigothic Kingdom, until the Arab conquest in the 8th century. Known as Yumil-la, the town remained predominantly Arab for hundreds of years until it was taken by Christian forces under Alfonso X of Castile in the 13th century.
Though an agreement—the Capitulations of Alcaraz—was reached to preserve local rights under Alfonso’s rule, those protections ended shortly after his death when Castile fully conquered Jumilla, ending Arab rule.
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