00:00Commenters online both within Texas and beyond are outraged after it was announced that a taxpayer-funded water park in
00:07the Dallas-Fort Worth area was rented out to hold a Muslims-only event, which will feature halal food, modest
00:14clothing requirements, and a private prayer area.
00:17Water critics sang on social media about Epic Waters and the June 1st event to celebrate Eid. Here's what you
00:23need to know.
00:24The top-ranked Epic Waters Indoor Water Park in Grand Prairie, Texas is facing a firestorm of criticism after a
00:31flyer linked to the water world suggested it was holding a Muslim-only event, which features strict religious clothing requirements
00:37and recommendations for patrons to practice haya, or modesty, by, quote, maintaining personal space and lowering the gaze around members
00:45of the opposite sex.
00:47The third annual iteration of the event will be held at a massive 80,000-square-foot indoor water park
00:52opened in 2017 at a cost of $88 million, which is funded by a 0.25% sales tax residents
01:00approved at the ballot box in 2014.
01:03The event, known as DFW Epic Eid, noted three times on an initial version of a flyer that attendance was
01:10strictly for Muslims.
01:11But the event's organizer, Aminan Knight, told the Post the inquiry prompted her to revisit the advert, to, quote,
01:18make it clearer that this is a modest, dress-only event centered around celebrating Eid.
01:23The FAQ for the event says, quote,
01:25The entire water park has been exclusively reserved for Muslims.
01:29Although the event website says men and women will not be separated during the event, it notes, quote,
01:47The website also offers suggestions such as an entire what-to-wear section of the site, complete with purchase links
01:54for modesty-approved swimwear for girls, boys, and toddlers.
01:58Event tickets are being advertised for $55 a pop or $65 with food included, 100% of which will be
02:05certified halal, according to the flyer.
02:07Also advertised as a private prayer room which will be available between 5.30 and 7.30 p.m. on
02:13the night of the celebration.
02:14Knight told the Post that the uproar over the initial iteration of the flyer could have been better communicated
02:19and was more about creating a certain kind of atmosphere rather than excluding non-Muslims.
02:24The core intention behind this event is to create a space where individuals and families who value modest dress and
02:30a modest environment
02:31can come together and feel comfortable enjoying a recreational space that often doesn't naturally accommodate those preferences.
02:38While the event is rooted in celebrating Eid with the Muslim community, the guiding principle for attendance is the modest
02:44dress code.
02:45Guests are expected to follow that guideline, such as burkinis for women and swim trunks with shirts for men.
02:51As for the critique of the taxpayer-funded facility hosting the event,
02:56Knight said the park regularly rents out the space for private events and that this event is no different
03:01in that it is privately organized and funded and operates within the same framework as any other private rental.
03:07But many social media users were upset that a water park funded by taxpayers would seemingly openly discriminate
03:13against swaths of the taxpaying public.
03:15Dana Loesch, who hosts the radio program The Dana Show, wrote on X,
03:19How is a taxpayer-funded, city-owned entity allowed to discriminate against non-Muslims at a public water park?
03:25There would be literal riots if Muslims were similarly excluded, and we all know that's 100% accurate.
03:31Loesch, who lives in Texas, went further on her radio show arguing that if the water park were private,
03:36then there wouldn't be an issue.
03:37In the comments, people were suggesting, well, maybe it was rented out.
03:42Okay, I would understand that.
03:44If it were a privately owned business, you can rent out private businesses and do whatever you want all the
03:51time.
03:51Private businesses can do whatever they want all the time.
03:55The issue isn't that they're doing it.
03:59The issue is that it's a private business that's doing it.
04:01This is a publicly owned water park that the taxpayers pay money to support.
04:08Lance Gooden, who serves Texas' 5th Congressional District, wrote on X,
04:12Why are Texas tax dollars being used to fund religious discrimination with a Muslim-only day at a public water
04:17park?
04:18Imagine a Christian-only Easter event.
04:20Seems like a civil rights violation, said another in a post tagging Harmeet Dillon,
04:25Trump's Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Justice.
04:29A spokesperson for the water park said the event is not hosted or organized by Epic Waters
04:34and that it makes its space available for rent to a variety of groups.
04:38A new flyer for the event has now been released, removing the words Muslim-only
04:42and replacing it with modest dress-only, adding the line,
04:45Come and celebrate Eid with us.
04:47All are welcome.
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