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 town council of Jumilla, in the southeastern region of Murcia, approved the ban last week with support from the conservative Popular Party (PP), saying it sought to "promote and preserve the traditional values" of the area.

Far-right party Vox had demanded the measure in exchange for backing the PP mayor's municipal budget.

Spain's national government swiftly denounced the ban, with minister for inclusion and migration Elma Sainz calling it a "racist motion".

Territorial Policy Minister Angel Víctor Torres announced on X on Monday that the central government had formally ordered the Jumilla council to scrap the ban, arguing it violates the constitution.

Jumilla, a wine-producing town of about 27,000 people, has a significant Muslim community, many of whom work in the agricultural sector. 

'Perplexed'

For years, the community has used sports venues for celebrations such as Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan.

The controversy comes just weeks after far-right groups and immigrant residents clashed for several nights in another Murcia town following an assault on a retired man by a young North African.

Even Spain's Catholic Church criticized the ban in Jumilla, saying public religious expressions are protected under the right to religious freedom.

Vox leader Santiago Abascal said he was "perplexed" by the Church's stance, suggesting it might be tied to public funding or to clergy abuse scandals that he claimed have "gagged" the institution.