Texas Water Park Changes 'Muslim Only' Eid Event to 'All Welcome' After Abbott Threat

A taxpayer-funded indoor water park in Texas has revised its promotion for a Muslim group's Eid celebration, dropping a 'Muslim only' restriction and welcoming all guests while requiring modest dress, after Gov. Greg Abbott threatened to cut public safety grants.

The local Islamic organization rented Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark in Grand Prairie for its annual Dallas-Fort Worth Eid event on June 1. The original flier called it a 'Muslim only event' with a modest dress code.

Event organizer Aminah Knight responded to criticism by updating materials. '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 website.

The new poster replaces 'Muslim only event' with 'Modest dress only' and 'For Muslims only' with 'All are welcome.' Knight said the gathering aims to create a space where individuals and families who value modest dress and environment can enjoy recreation comfortably.

This marks the third such event at the city-owned park, funded partly by a voter-approved 0.25 percent sales tax. The event offers halal food and a private prayer area. Women must wear burkinis, and men swim trunks and shirts. Though not gender-separated, guests should follow Islamic etiquette as in other mixed spaces.

Abbott condemned the initial policy as unconstitutional religious discrimination. 'I signed HB 4211 into law — banning Muslim-only no-go zones in Texas,' he posted 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 pointed to five active grants from his Public Safety Office. City leaders had agreed to follow state civil rights and anti-discrimination laws when accepting the funds.

Fox News Digital contacted the water park and city for comment.