An event billed as a “Muslims only” celebration at a publicly owned water park in Texas has been canceled after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott intervened.
The Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark in Grand Prairie, which is owned by the city and operated by a private company, initially scheduled a June 1 event to celebrate Eid, a major Muslim holiday, according to CBS News.
A flyer touting the event said it was for “Muslims only,” making this event a lightning rod for controversy.
“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,” the city said in a statement.
Abbott had made his opinion clear in an ultimatum he gave the city.
“A city-owned water park in Grand Prairie openly advertised a ‘MUSLIMS ONLY’ event — closed to the general public,” Abbott wrote Wednesday in a post on X.
“That’s religious discrimination. It’s unconstitutional. I signed HB 4211 into law — banning Muslim only no-go zones in Texas,” he wrote.
“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,” he wrote.
A city-owned water park in Grand Prairie openly advertised a “MUSLIMS ONLY” event — closed to the general public.
That’s religious discrimination. It’s unconstitutional. I signed HB 4211 into law — banning Muslim only no-go zones in Texas.
The City must cancel the event and… https://t.co/W9NY9PAAjE
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) May 6, 2026
“Let this be a lesson to local officials: Facilities funded by ALL taxpayers are not just for a subset of Texans.”
Abbott told Grand Prairie Mayor Ron Jensen that discriminating against non-Muslims was not legal, CBS News noted.
“An event at a city-owned pool that was publicly and indiscriminately advertised as ‘Whites only’ would surely violate the Constitution,” he wrote in his letter.
“The same must be true here,” Abbott continued.
No Muslim only water parks in Texas. Agree with @realmitchlittle this is unconstitutional just as DEI is unconstitutional. https://t.co/IzAsESVgo7
— Mayes Middleton (@mayes_middleton) May 4, 2026
Event organizer Aminah Knight defended the event as “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,” according to Fox News.
“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 on the event’s website.
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