How an Islamic celebration at waterpark led to funding cut threats in Texas

The "Muslim-only event" at a Texas waterpark has triggered massive controversy. The event faced intense backlash for being advertised as "Muslim only."

But before the advertisement was modified to "Modest dress only," from "Muslim-only event" and to "All are welcome", from "For Muslims only," it was too late.

By the time, the Texas Governor Gregg Abbott had already ordered the cancellation after knowing about such an event termed as "Muslim-only."

Why the event sparked controversy

A local Islamic group had booked the Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark in Grand Prairie for its annual Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) "Epic Eid" celebration. The celebration was scheduled to take place on June 1.

The waterpark is owned by the city but managed by a private third-party operator, CBS News reported.

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The head of the operator and curriculum designer, Aminah Knight, has reportedly been holding a private Eid celebration at the Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark for two years.

This year, while advertising the celebration, Knight mentioned the phrase "Muslims only." The flier for the event originally stated "modest dress code" for all attendees.

Initially, Knight also advertised the halal food and a private prayer area "for Muslims only." Women were asked to wear burkinis. Men were instructed to wear swim trunks along with shirts. The event website mentioned that guests must uphold "Islamic etiquette," FOX News reported.

Now, this sparked massive backlash, forcing Knight to modify the advert. She then acknowledged in an email to the New York Post (NYP) that the initial message was not intended to bar non-Muslims.

“The core intention behind this event is to create a space where individuals and families who value modest dress and a modest environment can come together and feel comfortable enjoying a recreational space that often doesn’t naturally accommodate those preferences,” Knight said, as quoted by the outlet.

"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 cancelled," representatives for both the water park and the city of Grand Prairie released the statement on Wednesday evening (May 5), according to Fox News.

Why was the event cancelled?

Despite all the damage control and even revising the poster by removing the phrase "Muslim only event," and replacing it with "Modest dress only," and changing "For Muslims only" to "All are welcome," the news had already reached Abbott.

"I signed HB 4211 into law — banning Muslim-only no-go zones in Texas. The City must cancel the event and commit to never allowing something like it again by May 11th, or lose $530,000 (around Rs 5.04 crore) in state grants," he threatened.

"Let this be a lesson to local officials: Facilities funded by ALL taxpayers are not just for a subset of Texans," Abbott added.

With inputs from agencies