Spain Orders Jumilla To Scrap Ban On Muslim Festivals

The Spanish town of Jumilla, with a Muslim population of around 7.5%, has sparked controversy after its town council, led by the nationalist Vox party, banned Muslim religious festivals such as Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha from public sports facilities, including the Antonio Ibanez Morales football stadium. Local Muslims, who previously held peaceful Eid prayers attended by about 1,500 people on two mornings annually, view the ban as discriminatory and racist, expressing disappointment and hurt over the decision. Vox framed the ban as a protection of Christian traditions and linked Muslim gatherings to insecurity and Islamisation, a stance condemned by Muslim leaders as disrespectful and regressive. The ban has raised community tensions in Jumilla, a town historically marked by Christian-Muslim conflict, despite Muslims having lived peacefully alongside their neighbors in recent years. In response, Spain's leftist central government ordered Jumilla to revoke the ban, emphasizing the importance of social cohesion and religious freedom. The situation highlights broader European debates around immigration, cultural identity, and nationalist politics.