The Spanish government challenges the Jumella agreement against Islamic celebrations.

BarcelonaThe Spanish government is making a move after the People's Party (PP) and Vox approved a motion last week that would have opened the door to banning the use of sports facilities for Muslim community events in the Murcian town of Jumella. Just a few days ago Pedro Sánchez's executive has already said that he would investigate the veto., today took action and filed a request to the Jumella City Council to annul the agreement, as it "arbitrarily restricts" celebrations such as the Feast of the Lamb.

In the request, presented by the Spanish government delegate and coordinated with the Ministries of Justice and Territorial Policy, the executive asserts that "the reasons given [for the motion] are unfounded," as the regulations permit the use of the sports center for sociocultural activities. It also points out that the motion contravenes the legal system because it violates religious freedom, infringes the principle of religious neutrality of institutions, and lacks "sufficient" and "proportional" motivation.

Furthermore, the state executive points out that the "discriminatory intention" of the agreement is observed "both in the original text and in the statements of the Vox spokesperson" and that it is "evident" that this is a "new violation of fundamental rights and freedoms." In a message to X, the Minister of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Parliament, Félix Bolaños, defended the requirement in the face of the "extremist drift of PP-Vox" and said that the state government "will curb their ultra measures," recalling precedents such as the "obstacles to abortion" in Castilla y León. For her part, the PSOE spokesperson, Montse Mínguez, has accused both parties "of institutionalizing Islamophobia and racism." Now, the Jumella City Council has one month to annul the agreement.

Support from the PP and rejection from the bishops

From the state leadership of the People's Party (PP), Juan Bravo this morning expressed "maximum respect for all religious denominations" and "for freedom of worship," but avoided criticizing the motion approved in Jumella. In fact, far from distancing themselves from the position of the PP municipal group in the Murcia town, at the state level the People's Party (PP) supported this decision last week, accusing the PSOE and Vox of "polarizing" with immigration.

To justify their vote in favor of the motion, the People's Party (PP) asserted that the words "... Muslims either Islamic community, ignoring the fact that the motion that was ultimately approved stemmed from a text presented by Vox, which called for "prohibiting the Feast of the Lamb and other similar commemorations unrelated to our traditions." In this sense, the request presented by the Spanish government states that, beneath a "formal appearance" in which the text "appears to regulate the use of municipal sports facilities," the motion "clearly conceals a violation of the fundamental right to religious freedom."

Opposition to the motion passed by the right and far right, however, did not come only from the Spanish government: the Spanish Episcopal Conference also took issue with the PP and Vox, and warned that limiting worship "violates the fundamental rights of any human being" a discrimination that democratic societies lack.

Faced with this warning, the president of Vox, Santiago Abascal, yesterday Sunday appeared "perplexed and disappointed." Far from avoiding a clash with the bishops, the leader of the far-right party hinted that the positions of the "ecclesiastical hierarchy" could be due "to the public income that the Church obtains and that makes it difficult for it to combat certain government policies." In addition to criticizing the bishops for not opposing the Spanish government's immigration policy, Abascal also criticized the opposition from some parts of the Church in previous episodes, such as when some of the bishops criticized Vox for proposing to Castilla y León that women Pregnant women will be able to listen to the fetal heartbeat to prevent miscarriages.