Spanish town attacks Muslim religious freedom
The municipality of Jumilla in south-east Spain has banned Muslims from using public facilities to celebrate religious festivals. The ban, which was introduced by the conservative People's Party (PP) and facilitated by the right-wing populist Vox, clearly violates the Spanish constitution. The Spanish Episcopal Conference has also protested the decision.
Religion today, skin colour tomorrow
El País demands immediate countermeasures:
“The PP is obstructing freedom of religion and worship, a fundamental right protected by the constitution. The increasingly radical, anti-immigration rhetoric of Vox is thus finding its way into the political institutions. ... Jumilla is a blatant example of how the PP is unabashedly adopting some of the far-right theses on immigration. ... Measures like this could set a dangerous precedent and must be stopped. ... Today it's about religion, tomorrow it's about skin colour, political views or any other prejudices held by the government of the day.”
A highly political issue
ABC praises the Spanish Episcopal Conference for defending religious freedom:
“The bishops have cited the constitution, and not only to protect Islamic rituals but also to remind us that religious freedom must extend to 'any type of expression in public spaces'. ... No member of the [generally anti-Church] Spanish government has attacked the bishops for speaking out on a controversial issue that extends beyond religion and enters the sphere of xenophobia: a political issue of the highest order.”