A decision issued by the municipality of the city of Khouma, located in the region of Murcia, southeast of Spain, to prevent the use of public facilities to hold Islamic religious celebrations, has sparked widespread controversy and criticism by left -wing civil society organizations and politicians. According to the “Telegraph” newspaper.
The decision, which was approved by the Municipal Council with one vote, provides for the ban on the establishment of Eid al -Fitr and Eid al -Adha celebrations in the civil centers, stadiums and gyms. The first decision of its kind was considered in the country.
The proposal was presented by the “Conservative People” party, and it was passed after the only adviser to the right -wing “Fox” party refrained from voting, before the mayor decided the result with his weighted voice. “Thanks to Fox, the first decision prohibiting Islamic celebrations in public places in Spain was passed,” the local branch of the local Fox wrote on the X platform.
For his part, Munir Benjelloun Al -Andalusi Azhari, President of the Federation of Islamic Organizations in Spain, described the decision as “discriminatory and reflects a Islamophobia tendency,” adding: “They do not target any other religion, but only our religion … and for the first time in 30 years I feel fear in Spain.”
On the other hand, Franathsu Lucas, the leader of the “Socialist Party” in Murcia, considered that the decision “contradicts the constitution and undermines social cohesion for political gains”, hinting to resort to the judiciary.
The city’s former mayor, Joanna Guardiola, also asked about the “concept of identity” on which the decision is based, recalling “centuries of the Islamic heritage” that distinguished the region.
Muslims constitute about 7.5 percent of the 27,000 Khulaa population, most of them are of Maghreb origin. Historically, the city was under Arab rule from the eighth century until the King of Castile Alfonso tenth in the thirteenth century.
The decision comes in a charged atmosphere regarding the immigration file in Spain, whose population has recently reached about 50 million, driven by migrant waves from Maghreb and other Spanish -spoken countries in Latin America. Murcia towns, including Tori Bashiko, have witnessed tensions and riots in the past weeks, against the backdrop of separate incidents attributed to immigrants.
