The Texas Public Safety Office (PSO) issued a scathing warning this week to the city of Grand Prairie about an upcoming event that was initially billed as Muslim-only.
The organizer, Aminah Knight, planned DFW Epic Eid for people of the Islamic faith to take place at Epic Waters Indoor Water Park, which is owned by the City of Grand Prairie and operated by American Resort Management.
Eid refers to Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, which mark the end of Ramadan fasting and the Feast of Sacrifice, respectively.
“An event at a city-owned pool that was publicly and indiscriminately advertised as Whites Only would surely violate the Constitution,” PSO Executive Director Andrew Friedrichs said in a May 6 letter to Prairie City Mayor Ron Jensen. “The same must be true here.”
Promotion for the June 1 family-friendly, religious event on the DFW Epic Eid website has since been rebilled as Modest Dress Only instead of Muslim Only.
Tickets are $65 with food and $55 without food.
Friedrichs also took issue with the requirement for modest dress, which includes swim trunks and shirts for men and burkinis for women.
“Now, flyers state that All Are Welcome and the event is restricted only by a requirement for modest dress,” Friedrichs said. “The first hint that the broader public is not really welcome, however, is language explaining that any woman wishing to attend must wear burkinis.”
Burkinis are swimsuits that cover the entire body except for the face, hands, and feet, that’s worn by observant women.
Jensen did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publication.
“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 said. “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!”
Friedrichs went on to say in his letter that the state could terminate funding to the city, require reimbursement of past grant disbursements, and ban the city of Grand Prairie from applying for future state funding until the matter is resolved.
At stake for Grand Prairie is $530,000 in state grants, according to Friedrichs’ letter.
Friedrichs declined to comment and the governor’s office did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publication.