The government has submitted a request to the Jumilla City Council (Murcia) to overturn the PP motion, which prohibits religious, cultural, and social celebrations in the municipality’s sports centres. This petition includes events that were previously organised by the city’s Muslim community, such as prayers for the end of Ramadan. This has been verified by government sources, who have indicated that this agreement may infringe upon religious freedom.
A Vox motion that explicitly proposed a ban on Islamic celebrations in the municipality, which has a substantial Muslim community and a population of approximately 27,000, was the source of the controversy. This party’s endorsement of the PP’s budget was contingent upon the promotion of this initiative. Ultimately, the PP chose to modify the motion to prevent it from explicitly targeting this religion and instead to broadly prohibit religious, cultural, and social celebrations in the municipality’s sports centres.
In collaboration with the Ministries of Justice and Territorial Policy, the Government Delegation in Murcia submitted the request. They contend that the sports centre is permissible for sociocultural activities under the regulations, and as a result, they are of the opinion that the “objective reasons” provided are unfounded. They also emphasise that the Feast of the Lamb and the conclusion of Ramadan have been observed for “years” and are currently being “arbitrarily” restricted, which they contend violates the Muslim community’s fundamental right to religious freedom.
They contend that the “true discriminatory intent of the agreement” is evident in the initial text, as presented by Vox, and in the statements of the spokesperson of this party, who has “bragged about banning Muslim holidays.” These sources contend that the Spanish government must intervene in support of the Constitution in response to a new violation of fundamental rights and freedoms by right-wing and far-right local and regional governments.
They caution that, in the same manner as they did with measures such as the “blackmail” of women seeking abortions in Castile and León or the “classroom censorship” in Murcia, the Government will combat “politically and legally” any initiative that “attempts to undermine rights and freedoms” to plunge Spain into a “authoritarian dynamic.” The Government maintains that this measure, which was approved by the Jumilla City Council, “arbitrarily restricts” a celebration that has been conducted for years. In their view, this violates the fundamental right to religious freedom, which is enshrined in Article 16 of the Constitution.
The Episcopal Conference has specifically criticised this initiative, contending that it infringes upon the fundamental rights of all human beings. Nevertheless, the PP denies that it targets any particular religion and maintains its commitment to the right to worship freely.
Vox boasts about “making history” in this community and promoting its “Christian roots,” but the PP denies that this motion violates any creed. They underscore the fact that their party is committed to the protection of “all customs and religions,” as well as the right to venerate. They accuse the Socialists of generating a “false controversy” in this regard, contending that this resolution comprises only two points that “do not refer to any religion or ritual.”
Author: Derek Appleton
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