PP and Vox ban Islamic rites in public spaces in Jumilla (Murcia, Spain). [TRANSLATION IN COMMENTS]

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https://www.elmundo.es/espana/2025/08/06/68934a49e9cf4a97318b4577.html

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The motion approved considers major Muslim holidays "foreign to our traditions" and "incompatible with the Spanish identity"

The City Council of Jumilla (Murcia) has approved a motion proposed by Vox and supported by the People's Party (PP) after an amendment, which prohibits the celebration of Muslim holidays such as the Feast of the Lamb (Eid al-Adha) in public spaces.

The municipality has become the first to approve a motion of this kind, which argues that the “Feast of the Lamb or other Islamic commemorations” are “foreign to our traditions” and “incompatible with the identity, customs, and traditions of the Spanish nation.”

The motion, presented by Vox councilor Juan Agustín Carrillo, includes a reform of the regulations for the use of the town's municipal sports facilities so that they are used "exclusively for sports purposes or activities organized by the Jumilla City Council." The aim is to restrict the use of these facilities and prevent people of the Muslim faith from celebrating their rituals and holidays there.

Among other things, the text expresses the municipal group’s “rejection” of “cultural practices foreign to Spain” and urges the relevant authorities “to prevent the consolidation of foreign cultural practices that are not part of Spanish tradition and that affect social cohesion, generating internal tensions and conflicts, uprooting, and erosion of national identity.”

At the plenary session held on Monday the 28th, Vox’s original motion was discussed but failed after the PP presented a modifying amendment. The Popular Party’s version removed the first six points of Vox's motion because they “could give rise to interpretations not fully in line with the current legal framework,” the PP justified in its proposed modification, which ultimately passed with votes from the PP; opposition from PSOE and IU-Podemos-AV; and abstention from Vox.

Furthermore, the PP in the municipality acknowledged that Vox’s motion aimed at “the legitimate goal of protecting our traditions and customs” but could lead to “interpretations not fully aligned with the current legal framework.” In fact, Article 16 of the Spanish Constitution guarantees citizens’ freedom of religion and worship “with no other limitation than that necessary to maintain public order protected by law.”

Thus, the Popular Party’s amendment, leading the municipal government, focuses almost exclusively on the municipal competencies concerning facility use, although their modified proposal also mentions the promotion of “activities, campaigns, and cultural proposals that defend our identity and protect the values and religious expressions traditional in our country.”

Of the approximately 27,000 residents of Jumilla, the National Statistics Institute (INE) estimates that around 1,500 follow the Muslim faith—about 5.5% of the population.

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A Concession to Vox

The motion was passed at a strategic moment, as the City Council is just days away from finalizing its budget. Mayor Severa González governs the municipality with her 10 councilors and the support of the lone Vox councilor. One of Vox’s conditions for approving the municipal budget was to pass this motion.

The PP has yielded to Vox in this area on several occasions, as it is one of the two pillars—along with environmental policy—that underpin the parties’ agreements in the region.

The local newspaper Siete Días Jumilla reported Vox’s explanation of the motion. The spokesperson claimed, “We defend our traditions against the constant ideological offensive from the left, which seeks to impose customs foreign to our identity.”

The Popular Party’s spokesperson in the council, Mari Carmen Cruz, emphasized that “nowhere do the words ‘Muslims,’ ‘Islamic community,’ or ‘ban’ appear.”

“This has nothing to do with religion or nationality; this is simply about initiating a modification of the ordinance so that sports facilities are used for sporting activities—nothing more,” she said in a statement issued by the local PP organization.