Jumilla Town In Spain Bans Eid Celebrations in Public Facilities

August 8, 2025

Spain’s first municipal ban targets Eid celebrations in civic spaces. Critics cite constitutional violations and Islamophobia.

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The municipality of Jumilla, located in the Murcia region of south-east Spain, has become the first in the country to ban the use of public facilities for Muslim religious celebrations, including Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.

The decision, spearheaded by the conservative People’s Party (PP) and supported through abstention by the far-right Vox party, passed despite firm opposition from local left-wing groups.

According to the approved motion, “municipal sports facilities cannot be used for religious, cultural, or social activities alien to our identity unless organized by the local authority.”

This prohibits local Muslim communities from gathering in public civic centers and sports complexes to mark their most important religious holidays.

Backlash from Muslim and Human Rights Groups

The ban has been widely condemned as discriminatory and unconstitutional.

Mounir Benjelloun Andaloussi Azhari, president of the Spanish Federation of Islamic Religious Entities, described the measure as “Islamophobic and discriminatory,” telling El País, “They’re not going after other religions, they’re going after ours… For the first time in 30 years, I feel afraid.”

Vox Murcia announced on X: “Vox secured Spain’s first ban on Islamic festivals in public spaces. Spain is and will forever remain Christian land.”

Legal experts and political leaders have already raised questions about the constitutionality of the ban.

Critics argue it violates Article 16 of the Spanish Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion, ideology, and worship, with restrictions permitted only for reasons of public order.

Francisco Lucas charged on X: “PP is violating Spain’s constitution and risking social cohesion purely to gain power.”

Juana Guardiola, a former Socialist mayor of Jumilla, questioned the language of the ruling: “What do they mean by ‘identity’? And what about the centuries of Muslim legacy here?”

Jumilla, home to around 27,000 people, has a Muslim population of roughly 7.5%, many of whom are immigrants or descendants from Muslim-majority countries.

Historically, Jumilla was under Muslim rule for centuries, known as Yumil-la during the Islamic period, before Christian forces led by Alfonso X of Castile seized the town in the 13th century.

Despite promises at the time to respect the rights of the Arab population, Christian forces eventually dismantled Islamic governance and influence in the area.

The decision is expected to be challenged in the courts and may set a troubling precedent if left unaddressed.

Spain has long prided itself on its constitutional protections for religious freedom, but rising nationalist and anti-immigration rhetoric from far-right parties is increasingly putting minority communities under pressure.