Grand Prairie Cancels "Eid" Event After Gov. Greg Abbott's Office Threatens to Pull Funding
Abbott says the city could lose more than $500,000 in grants unless it blocks the privately rented Eid celebration, which organizers say is open to all faiths.
- On Wednesday, the City of Grand Prairie canceled the private DFW Eid Celebration at Epic Waters after Texas Governor Greg Abbott threatened to pull approximately $530,000 in state public safety grants.
- Abbott's office warned Grand Prairie Mayor Ron Jensen on Tuesday that the event violated state agreements, calling it "religious discrimination" and comparing it to "Whites only" policies.
- Organizer Aminah Knight initially marketed the event as "Muslim only," then updated the flyer to require "modest dress" to create a comfortable environment for families celebrating the Islamic holiday.
- Knight described the cancellation as a "painful experience," calling it a "wake up call for how much work we have to do as Muslims to help the wider American people."
- Abbott warned that facilities funded by "ALL taxpayers" are not for a "subset of Texans," establishing a precedent for how local officials must manage religious or private events on public property.
62 Articles
62 Articles
Texas City Cancels ‘Muslims Only’ Event at Public Water Park After State Threatens Funding
(JNS) – A city-owned water park in Grand Prairie has canceled a “Muslims only” day after the Texas Public Safety Office sent a letter on Wednesday threatening to pull approximately $530,000 in grants from the city for “discriminating based on religion.” Epic Waters Indoor Water Park, operated by American Resort Management, LLC, had advertised the […]
Taxpayer-Funded Texas Water Park's "Muslim Only" Rules End As Gov. Abbott Threatens To Yank Funding - The American Tribune.com
Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott got a taxpayer-funded water park in the Lone Star State to shut down a “Muslim only” event after threatening to pull several public safety grants. A local Islamic group had rented out the Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark in Grand Prairie for its yearly Dallas-Fort Worth “Epic Eid” celebration on June 1, 2026. Representatives for the city of Grand Prairie and the water park commented on the situation in a statement s…
City of Grand Prairie, Texas, cancels Muslim celebration after press from Gov. Greg Abbott
The city of Grand Prairie, Texas, canceled a Muslim celebration Wednesday that had been planned for the city-owned Epic Waters after Gov. Greg Abbott called the event “religious discrimination.”
Lawmakers say Abbott threatened city funding to shut down an Eid event
Nearly four dozen state legislators are calling on Gov. Greg Abbott to withdraw his threat against the city of Grand Prairie, demanding it cancel a holiday event booked at the city’s Epic Waters water park. The letter says, in part, “What you have done is use the financial dependence of a Texas city as a weapon to shut down a Muslim community celebration. That is government coercion,” said Texas Rep. Salman Bhojani, D-Euless. “It is an abuse of …
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