On the other hand: Islamic Federation denounces discrimination and left speaks of violation of the Constitution
The municipality of Jumilla, in southeastern Spain, has banned Muslim festivities such as “Eid al-Fitr” (or Fasting Breaker Party, which celebrates the end of the sacred month of Ramadão) and “Eid al-Adha” (or Sacrifice Feast, the greatest religious festivity of Islam, celebrated by Muslims around the world-and that marks the annual pilgrimage. Mecca) in public spaces, becoming the first Spanish autarchy to apply such a measure.
The decision was made by the local executive of the Popular Party (PP), with the abstention of the far-right Vox party and the vote against the left parties.
The approved proposal stipulates that “municipal sports facilities cannot be used for religious, cultural or social activities outside our identity, unless they are organized by the municipality.” The decision directly affects the celebration of the main dates of the Islamic calendar, usually organized by local Muslim community associations in civic centers or municipal gyms.
On social networks, Vox claimed the initiative – despite abstention. “Thanks to Vox, the first measure was approved that prohibits Islamic festivities in public spaces in Spain. Spain is and will be forever land of Christians,” the party wrote on Network X (former Twitter).
The measure generated immediate criticism from the Muslim community. Mounir Benjellou Andaloussi Azhari, president of the Spanish Federation of Islamic Organizations, classifies the decision as “Islamophobic and discriminatory,” in statements to El País. “They are not going after other religions, they are going after ours,” he said. “We are quite surprised by what is happening in Spain. For the first time in 30 years, I am afraid.”
Jumilla has about 27,000 inhabitants, and only 7.5% of the population originates from mostly Muslim countries.
The legality of the measure must now be contested in court. Article 16 of the Spanish Constitution guarantees “the ideological, religious and worship freedom of individuals and communities, without other limitation in their manifestations except for the maintenance of public order protected by law.”
Francisco Lucas, leader of the Socialist Party in the region of Murcia-where Jumilla remains-accused the PP of “violating the constitution” and “endangering social cohesion only to gain power”-read: to the far right of Vox. Already Juana Guardiola, former socialist president of the municipality, questioned the concept of identity invoked in the proposal: “What do you mean with identity? And the centuries of Muslim legacy here?”
The very history of the village contrasts with the approved measure.
Jumilla joined the Roman Empire before being conquered by the Arabs in the eighth century. For centuries, it was a majority village, known as yumil-la-so even its name has an Arab origin. In the mid -thirteenth century, Christian troops led by Afonso X de Castile invaded the region. An initial agreement (so -called Alcatraz capitulations) allowed coexistence, provided that the rights of the local population were respected. But after the death of the monarch, Castile imposed the total domain, ending the Arab period in the current Jumilla.
The decision of the Spanish Chamber thus rekindled the debate (which is national) about religious freedom, discrimination and the use of public spaces in a country where religious pluralism is guaranteed by the Constitution, but where identity speeches are increasingly gaining strength in the local level. As in Portugal.
