‘Muslim only’ event at Texas water park canceled after Abbott threatens to pull $530K in state grants
A "Muslim only" event at a taxpayer-funded Texas water park was canceled after Gov. Greg Abbott threatened to revoke state grants.
A "Muslim only" event at a taxpayer-funded Texas water park has been canceled following criticism and threats by Gov. Greg Abbott to pull public safety grants.
A local Islamic group had rented out the Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark in Grand Prairie for its annual Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) "Epic Eid" celebration on June 1.
Representatives for both the water park and the city of Grand Prairie sent the following statement to Fox News Digital on Wednesday evening confirming the event is canceled:
"After further review and in the best interest of the City of Grand Prairie, the June 1 EID event at Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark has been canceled."
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A flier for the event originally stated that the gathering was a "Muslim only event" that required a "modest dress code."
The group later updated the poster by removing the phrase "Muslim only event," replacing it with "Modest dress only," and changed "For Muslims only" to "All are welcome."
Amid the backlash, the organizer of the event, Aminah Knight, said the event was about "creating a space where individuals and families, particularly those who value modest dress and a modest environment, can come together and enjoy a recreational setting comfortably."
"In response to feedback, we have updated our materials to clearly reflect that this is a modest dress-only event, centered around a respectful and family-friendly environment," she wrote in a message on the event website.
The event was going to be the third held at Epic Waters, a city-owned water park funded in part by a voter-approved 0.25% sales tax in the DFW suburb of Grand Prairie.
Initially, the event advertised halal food and a private prayer area "for Muslims only." Women were required to dress in "burkinis," and men were required to wear swim trunks and shirts.
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Although men and women would not have been separated, the event website stated that guests should uphold "Islamic etiquette," just as they do in other mixed-gender spaces.
Abbott blasted the event, calling the initial "Muslim only" policy "unconstitutional" and "religious discrimination."
"I signed HB 4211 into law — banning Muslim-only no-go zones in Texas," he wrote on X. "The City must cancel the event and commit to never allowing something like it again by May 11th, or lose $530,000 in state grants. Let this be a lesson to local officials: Facilities funded by ALL taxpayers are not just for a subset of Texans."
In a letter to Grand Prairie Mayor Ron Jensen, Abbott noted that his Public Safety Office has five active grants with the city and that city leaders agreed to comply with state laws regarding civil rights and discrimination upon accepting the awards.
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