Spain’s Ombudsman announced in early August that he would look into the Jumilla local authority’s plan to bar Muslims from using public facilities to celebrate their religious festivals.
The authority’s policy would prevent Muslims from using civic centers and gyms to celebrate the holidays.
Led by the conservative Popular Party, the Jumilla authority approved a ban stopping "cultural, social or religious activities unrelated to the City Council."
Christian nationalism
The ban was originally proposed by the Vox Party, which expressly called for a ban on Islamic events, though Mayor Seve Gonzalez approved only a revised version of the policy.
"Thanks to Vox, the first measure to ban Islamic festivals in Spain’s public spaces has been passed. Spain is and will be forever the land of Christian roots!" The Vox party in Murcia posted on social media.
The local legislation is expected to impact the 1,500 Muslims living in the town of just over 27,000 people, according to El País.
The mayor went on to tell El País that the legislation did not single out Muslims, and that the local authority wanted to "promote cultural campaigns that defend our identity."
Despite Gonzalez’s defense, Ombudsman Angel Gabilondo insisted on details outlining how the town plans to accommodate religious groups
Mounir Benjelloun Andaloussi Azhari, president of the Spanish Federation of Islamic Organizations, described the restrictions as "Islamophobic and discriminatory," according to DW News.