Taxpayer-funded “Muslims Only” campaign Texas The water park has been canceled after Gov. Greg Abbott criticized and threatened to revoke public safety funding.
A local Islamic group has rented out Grand Prairie’s Epic Waters indoor water park for its annual Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) “Epic Eid” celebration on June 1.
Representatives for the water park and Grand Prairie sent the following statement to Fox News Digital Wednesday night confirming the event’s cancellation:
“After further review, and in the best interest of the City of Grand Prairie, the June 1 Raya event at Epic Waters Indoor Water Park has been canceled.”
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A previous event at Epic Waters in Grand Prairie, Texas, that was advertised as “Muslims only” changed to welcome everyone after facing backlash over the religious admission policy.
(Fox News)
A flyer for the event originally described the gathering as a “Muslim-only event” that required a “modest dress code.”
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The group later updated the poster, removing the phrase “Muslim event only” and replacing it with “Mode dress only,” and changing “Muslims only” to “All are welcome.”
Amid the backlash, event organizer Aminah Knight said the event aimed to “create a space where individuals and families, especially those who value modest dress and modest surroundings, can come together and enjoy a casual environment in comfort.”
An initial flyer for the event stated that the event was “Muslims only,” which was later changed to “all welcome.”
“In response to feedback, we have updated our materials to clearly reflect that this is a dress code only event centered around a respectful and family-friendly environment,” she wrote in a message on the event website.
The event will 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 campaign promoted halal food and private prayer areas “for Muslims only.” Women are required to wear a “burkini” and men are required to wear swimming trunks and shirts.
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While men and women will not be separated, the event website says guests are expected to “islamic etiquette,” just like they do in other mixed-gender spaces.
Abbott blasted the incident, calling the original “Muslims only” policy “unconstitutional” and “religiously discriminatory.”
The event website contains images that suggest women attending the event should dress according to Islamic standards.
He wrote on the
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In a letter to Grand Prairie Mayor Ron Jensen, Abbott noted that his Office of Public Safety There are five active grants with the city, and city leaders have agreed to abide by state laws regarding civil rights and discrimination when accepting awards.
Original source of the article: ‘Muslim-only’ event at Texas water park canceled after Abbott threatens to withdraw $530,000 in state funding