Nice Try, Water Park’s “Muslim Only” Day Shut Down
Some individuals will attempt to take advantage of any situation. A city-owned water park in Dallas, Texas, faced significant backlash for promoting a “Muslims only” day at the facility. The decision drew criticism from many on social media, causing the park to reconsider and ultimately withdraw the promotional event.
According to the Dallas Express, the event was scheduled for June 1st at the Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark. The park was going to host the “3rd Annual DFW Epic Eid,” an event organized by the East Plano Islamic Center. However, aside from the obvious bigotry, the park is publicly funded by a voter-approved sales tax, which raises the distinct probability of legal issues.
A flyer promoting the event, which was circulating on social media, soon began drawing plenty of attention. Sarah Gonzales was one of those who spotted the flyer. In case you’re not familiar with Sarah, the “Spicy Latina,” as she calls herself, hosts a conservative TV show on Blaze Media titled “Sara Gonzales Unfiltered.”
She posted on X:
ISLAMIFICATION ALERT
Grand Prairie, TX has an indoor water park called Epic Waters (no relation to EPIC city).
It is owned by the city & now has a MUSLIM ONLY event on June 1st, with halal food, and a private prayer area.
The event is closed to the public- Muslims only.
Along with a picture of the flyer.
An updated flyer for the event stated that there will be a “private prayer area,” “Halal food,” and female attendees are asked to wear “burkinis,” while men are required to wear swim trunks and shirts.
The event page previously indicated that men and women would not be separated; however, attendees would be encouraged to uphold Islamic etiquette and adhere to a modest dress code consistent with Muslim beliefs.
GOP state Rep. Mitch Little posted on X:
“I mean, this is a law school essay question and not a hard one. You can’t have a Muslim-only event, guys. What are we doing here, Texas?”
What are you doing indeed?
Governor Greg Abbott was not amused and immediately took action. He posted on X:
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 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.
Sara Gonzales then posted a copy of the letter that Abbott’s office sent to the city of Grand Prairie, threatening to pull their public safety grants if they don’t cancel the planned “Muslim-only” water park day, citing state and federal statutes relating to civil rights and nondiscrimination.
Because of the uproar, Aminah Knight, the organizer of the event, began backtracking, telling the New York Post that the group is changing the advertisement’s wording, “to make it clearer that this is a modest dress-only event centered around celebrating Eid.”
She stated to the Post that she never intended to exclude anyone, but emphasized that there would be strict criteria for those wishing to attend.
“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.”
Yes, because it’s a WATER PARK.
“While the event is rooted in celebrating Eid within the Muslim community, the guiding principle for attendance is the modest dress code. Guests are expected to follow that guideline, such as burkinis for women and swim trunks with shirts for men.”
Knight stated that the park had previously rented the space for private events and that this gathering would be no different.
A representative from the water park clarified that the event is “not hosted or organized” by Epic Waters, noting that outside groups often book private events and set their own terms.
Knight also issued a wordy statement under the altered flyer.
“DFW Epic Eid is a privately organized and privately funded event held through a standard rental of Epic Waters, just like many other private gatherings hosted at the park. This event was created to celebrate Eid al-Adha, one of the most important holidays in Islam, which commemorates faith, devotion, and gratitude.”
“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. So if you are a friend of a different faith who wants to celebrate the Eid holiday with us and adhere to the modest dress code …. this event is FOR YOU TOO!”
“I will not allow something beautiful and well-intentioned to be turned into something that it is not. I am someone who deeply loves my community, Muslim and Non- Muslim alike. I am an educator, a mother of six, and someone who believes in engaging with perspectives different from my own in order to build deeper understanding and meaningful connection across communities.”
“This event is, and has always been, about one thing: Love. To our community, to lovers of modest fashion and those who are curious about Eid and what modesty at a waterpark can look like: You are welcome. You are safe. This space was created with you in mind. We look forward to celebrating together.”
Nice try, but we all know that your little speech is nothing but trash. Muslims resent Western Culture. The idea that women and men wear bikinis and swimming trunks to a water park is offensive to Muslims. This was your attempt to exclude those who don’t think like you.
On the event website, these images were posted to show what women should wear in order to comply with Islamic standards.
Well, “Islamic Standards” don’t apply at water parks in Texas or anywhere else in the United States, and “Muslim-only” days are bigoted and illegal.
Radio host Dana Loesch posted this truism on X:
“There would be literal riots if Muslims were similarly excluded, and we all know that’s 100 percent accurate.”
Yes, and the organizers would be called Islamophobic, but when things are reversed, Knight wants us to believe it was all a misunderstanding.
I hope all the women show up in teeny tiny bikinis and the men wear banana hammocks. Who knows, maybe Knight will see the light.
