JUMILLA, Murcia — Hundreds of Muslims in Jumilla were forced to celebrate Eid al-Adha in a car park beside the town’s indoor swimming pool on Wednesday, 27 May, after being prevented from using municipal sports facilities for the religious gathering.
It was the second time this year that the local Muslim community has had to hold a major Islamic celebration in the same car park. In March, worshippers were also unable to use the municipal sports centre for events marking the end of Ramadan.
The dispute follows a motion put forward by Vox and supported by the Partido Popular to stop religious celebrations from being held in public sports facilities in Jumilla. Before the controversy, the Muslim community had traditionally used the football pitch inside the municipal sports centre for large religious gatherings.
Members of the Islamic community described the situation as “shameful and humiliating”, saying more needs to be done to ensure Muslims in the town can celebrate their religious holidays in appropriate conditions. Community representatives also said they remain willing to work with local authorities to find a suitable solution.
A key point in the dispute is that the amended municipal ordinance has not yet officially come into force, meaning there is currently no formal legal ban on religious celebrations taking place at the sports centre. Despite this, Jumilla Town Hall again directed worshippers to the swimming pool car park for Eid al-Adha.
The issue has sparked wider debate in the Region of Murcia over religious freedom, access to public facilities and whether the proposed restrictions disproportionately affect the Muslim community.
