EU Spanish town ordered to scrap religious festivals ban

[CharlieH]

 

Jumilla’s ban on gatherings in public sports centres breaches right to religious freedom, says Madrid

 

 

Spain's central government has swiftly intervened after a town banned religious gatherings in public sports centres, branding it discriminatory and a breach of religious freedom, largely affecting Muslims.

 

Ángel Víctor Torres, Spain’s minister for territorial policy, declared: “There can be no half-measures when it comes to intolerance.” He criticised right-wing parties for trying to control religious freedom.

 

The controversy erupted in Jumilla, a town in Murcia, where the conservative-led council endorsed a ban. This ban impacted the town's 1,500 Muslims who have used these facilities for Eid celebrations.

Driven by the far-right Vox party, the initial proposal to ban Islamic festivals was amended by the People’s Party (PP) to bar “cultural, social or religious activities foreign to the city council.” Vox pushed for this in return for supporting the town’s budget.

 

As Vox hailed it as a victory against Islamic festivals, the backlash was immediate. A leading Muslim association decried it as "institutionalised Islamophobia," while Spain's migration minister, Elma Saiz, labelled it "shameful."

 

The PP defended its decision, denying any religious targeting, emphasising the coexistence of 72 nationalities in Jumilla. Mayor Seve González argued for campaigns to promote local cultural values.

In Madrid, the Socialist-led government criticised PP's alignment with the far right, suggesting it risks alienating citizens who contribute significantly to the local economy. Saiz highlighted the essential role of foreigners and reminded that Spain's rich history includes significant Muslim cultural contributions.

The Catholic Church and Federation of Jewish Communities also condemned the ban as a democratic setback. Catholic leaders called it discrimination, incompatible with religious freedom.

Vox leader Santiago Abascal expressed surprise at the Church's opposition, speculating its motivations linked to finances or past scandals.

 

The central government has given Jumilla a month to respond formally. If not addressed, further legal actions may be pursued to overturn the decision.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Guardian 2025-08-12

 

 

[Espanol]

 

Well, the reality is not like that:

 

Muslims have not been banned from celebrating the Feast of the Lamb. They have been banned from holding it in the municipal sports center, as it is not considered an appropriate place for the slaughter of thousands of lambs. It should be noted that Jumilla has two mosques in addition to other facilities where the "ceremony" could be held.

The government has not forced the city council to allow it, because legally it cannot. It has only issued a request to the city council to do so, for political reasons, but it is not mandatory.

It should be remembered that in rural Spain, it was once very common to celebrate the slaughter of the pig, where each family raised a pig year-round, and on Saint Martin's Day, the family would gather, slaughter the pig, and prepare sausages for the entire year.

This tradition was banned by law, as now only veterinarians can slaughter animals, it must be done in a facility specially designed for that purpose, and it was also considered cruel to slaughter a pig.

So many people are now wondering why a centuries-old Spanish tradition was banned, but Muslims are allowed to do exactly the same thing, and even in public.

 

 

[RayC]

1 hour ago, Espanol said:

 

Well, the reality is not like that:

 

Muslims have not been banned from celebrating the Feast of the Lamb. They have been banned from holding it in the municipal sports center, as it is not considered an appropriate place for the slaughter of thousands of lambs. It should be noted that Jumilla has two mosques in addition to other facilities where the "ceremony" could be held.

The government has not forced the city council to allow it, because legally it cannot. It has only issued a request to the city council to do so, for political reasons, but it is not mandatory.

It should be remembered that in rural Spain, it was once very common to celebrate the slaughter of the pig, where each family raised a pig year-round, and on Saint Martin's Day, the family would gather, slaughter the pig, and prepare sausages for the entire year.

This tradition was banned by law, as now only veterinarians can slaughter animals, it must be done in a facility specially designed for that purpose, and it was also considered cruel to slaughter a pig.

So many people are now wondering why a centuries-old Spanish tradition was banned, but Muslims are allowed to do exactly the same thing, and even in public.

 

 

Is that the reality? There are two issues here, (1) The holding of religious celebrations in municipal facilities (2) The places and methods used to slaughter animals. 

 

Wrt (1) why shouldn't municipal facilities be used? I am an atheist but as long as I am not expected to participate, I can't see why the facilities shouldn't be used for Christmas parties, Eid and Passover celebrations, etc? 

 

Wrt (2), is the government saying that the facilities can be used for the slaughter of animals?  There are EU laws designating how and where the slaughter of animals should take place although there are exceptions to these rules.

 

In any event, animal welfare regulations are - quite rightly imo - being tightened throughout Europe. Hopefully, fairly soon allowing religious groups exemption from these regulations will be a thing of the past.

 

https://www.brusselstimes.com/924527/ban-on-unstunned-slaughter-belgian-muslim-and-jewish-communities-dismayed