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After sparking heated debate around the country last summer following a political decision to restrict religious events in public spaces, Jumilla Council is now considering transferring a different public area so the local Muslim community can celebrate the end of Ramadan.

 

The move comes months after a controversial change to the rules prevented religious celebrations from being held at municipal sports facilities, forcing organisers to look elsewhere for one of the most important dates in the Islamic calendar.

 

Jumilla Town Council and representatives of the Muslim community in the local area have held several meetings in recent weeks to find a suitable location that can accommodate the large number of worshippers who attend the end of Ramadan prayer.

 

Mayor Seve González of the People’s Party confirmed that progress has been made. He explained that, “following these meetings, representatives of the Muslim community submitted a written request outlining their needs and the space required. This request is currently being reviewed by the relevant departments, including the Local Police, who will issue the necessary report shortly, detailing the capacity, schedule, required size, and other factors, as well as what the community needs to contribute.”

 

According to the mayor, the process is no different from any other application the council receives from local groups wanting to use public space.

 

He said, “all we're doing is the same as with any request the Town Council receives from a group, which is naturally subject to the regulations that stipulate the payment of the corresponding fee or the provision of an ambulance based on the number of people gathering.”

 

For now, the exact location remains undecided. Mr González said he could not confirm a site because the Chief Commissioner of the Local Police, Antonio Luis Mula Pérez, has yet to finalise his report, which is expected in the coming days. That document will set out the permitted capacity, timetable and any safety requirements.

 

Until recently, the end of Ramadan prayers were held at the Antonio Ibáñez football field inside the municipal sports complex. However, work is currently underway to amend the regulations governing the use of sports facilities. The changes were requested by the local Vox councillor, who argued that municipal sports venues should be reserved strictly for sporting activities. As a result, a new space now has to be identified.

 

The issue first came to a head last August when the council approved a motion backed by the People’s Party and Vox to restrict non-sporting use of municipal sports grounds. Although the original proposal put forward by Vox reportedly contained wording that could have been unconstitutional, the final version approved by the council was amended and didn’t explicitly mention Islam.

 

At the time, the People’s Party defended the measure by saying that religious freedom does not mean the council is obliged to hand over multi-purpose public spaces for the activities of specific faiths. Opposition parties disagreed, arguing that the restriction was discriminatory and pointing out that non sporting events had previously been allowed at the same venues.

 

After weeks of discussions with the local administration, members of the Muslim community say they feel reassured and are confident that an alternative public space will be provided in time for the celebration, provided it meets the necessary requirements set out by the authorities.

 

Image: Archive