In Jumilla (Murcia) – a town 110kms north of Torre Pacheco (wiki) – a ban on religious gatherings in public sports centres has sparked criticism and accusations of Islamophobia. The ban, initially proposed by the far-right Vox party, was recently approved by the coalition (PP/Vox) in the Jumilla town hall. This decision affects the local Muslim community, who traditionally use the sports centres for religious celebrations. The ban is seen as a violation of the Spanish constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion and worship (Google IA). The Guardian here says: ‘Outrage as Spanish town bans Muslim religious festivals from public spaces’.
Antena3 has: ‘The Muslim community's indignation at the ban in Jumilla: "It's very dangerous here’". The city council of this Murcian town has decided to prohibit its Muslim residents from celebrating festivals such as the End of Ramadan or the Feast of the Lamb in the municipal sports centre’.
‘Feijóo's PP avoids questioning the termination of the Islamic events it approved in Jumilla: "It is unacceptable that we are being presented as a xenophobic party"’. elDiario.es here.
The Partido Popular stands alone in its anti-Muslim crusade: neither the Church nor the right-wing media support Génova (PP headquarters in Madrid). From the Episcopal Conference (the Catholic authority in España) to media outlets aligned with Génova, they have turned their backs on the PP's argument regarding the controversy concentrated in Jumilla. El Plural here.
‘Vox leader Santiago Abascal calls for "protection" of public spaces against "practices alien to Spanish culture" and demands a ban on the veil’, says 20Minutos here. 
From El País here (with video): ‘Abascal attacks the bishops over Jumilla: "I don't know if their position is due to the public revenue they receive or the cases of paedophilia." The Vox leader responds to the Episcopal Conference's statement in support of the Muslim community with an unprecedented criticism of "part of the ecclesiastical hierarchy"’.
From Información here: Santiago Abascal's obsession with Al-Andalus and hatred as a profitable electoral weapon. This is how Vox deploys the far-right playbook that has been so successful in many European democracies’.
‘The Prosecutor's Office opens proceedings for alleged hate crimes against the leader of Vox in Murcia. It has opened a pre-trial investigation against José Ángel Antelo for the statements he made during a public appearance on July 12, 2025, in Cartagena, regarding the violent incidents that erupted after a North African man allegedly attacked a 68-year-old resident of Torre Pacheco’. From elDiario.es here.
‘Jumilla business owners offer their facilities to the Muslim community for prayers. "They ban us from the soccer field for two festivals a year; it doesn't make sense," explains Lancinha, an African migrant, sadly’. An item from La Verdad here. From the same source: ‘"We should be more concerned with how we live, not where we pray". Ana López and her brother, farmers from Jumilla, employ dozens of immigrants to harvest their fruit’.
On Monday, the Government challenged the agreement prohibiting Muslim prayers in Jumilla's sports centres. The summons, presented by the Executive Delegate in Murcia and coordinated with the Ministries of Justice and Territorial Policy, maintains that the regulations allow the use of the sports centre for sociocultural activities, and therefore considers that "the objective reasons given are unfounded". elDiario.es has the story. ‘The Government gives Jumilla council one-month deadline to reverse its Islamic prayer ban in municipal facilities’ says The Olive Press here.
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‘A Francoist group registered as a legal party mocks the death of Sumar leader Yolanda Díaz's father. El Movimiento Católico Español includes the name of the historic trade unionist Suso Díaz, who died on July 8, in a list published on its official Telegram channel under the title "cosecha rojiprogre (red harvest)"’. The story at Público here.
Spain’s economy is the envy of Europe, but the plight of its strawberry pickers tells another story says The Guardian here. Grim reading.
Some notes on Spain found on the web:
Tell them this: Spain cannot be understood without its 800 years of Arab presence (711-1492). During that period, Al-Andalus was a cultural and scientific melting pot that left an indelible mark:
• Innovations in agriculture, architecture, and medicine.
• Advances in mathematics, astronomy, and philosophy.
• Hydraulic infrastructure that is still used today.
• Cities like Córdoba, Granada, and Seville flourished as global centres of knowledge and trade.
This heritage reminds us that we are a multicultural country by nature.
Today, in the 21st century, Spain has more than 2.6 million foreign workers paying into Social Security.
However, a large proportion of them—and many Spaniards as well—work in precarious jobs:
• Long hours with low wages.
• High temporary and hourly contracts.
• Sectors such as hospitality, agriculture, and care, essential to the country, remain under-recognized.
Let's think about it:
Centuries ago, the arrival of other cultures boosted the economic, cultural, and scientific development of the peninsula.
Today, however, we still fail to tap into the full potential of those who come to work, build, and contribute.
Spain grew thanks to this mix. History shows that combining cultures improves the future.