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Our state government did the right thing when it stepped in to stop a taxpayer-funded facility from being advertised as a religiously exclusive space. A June 1 “DFW Epic Eid” at the city-owned Epic Waters in Grand Prairie — originally promoted with language that read “Muslims only” — was rightly canceled after state officials pointed out that public property can’t be fenced off to exclude citizens based on religion.
This wasn’t some harmless neighborhood bash; organizer Aminah Knight had rented the sprawling Epic Waters indoor waterpark for a religiously-themed Eid celebration with halal food, prayer areas, and a modest-dress code — details that went viral when a private flyer was shared publicly. Texans have a right to peacefully practice their faith, but they do not have a right to use city-owned facilities to exclude others from spaces paid for by every taxpayer.
Governor Greg Abbott put his foot down because public safety funds and taxpayer assets shouldn’t be weaponized to create “no-go” zones based on religion, and he reminded officials that he’d signed laws to prevent just that. When state leaders make clear that the First Amendment protects both religion and the prohibition on government-facilitated exclusion, they defend the rule of law and the equal treatment of all citizens.
Conservative investigators did the people’s work when reporters pressed the organizer about where event money and influence were flowing. BlazeTV’s Sara Gonzales confronted Aminah Knight about a separate venture advertised as the “Excellence Early Learing Center,” exposing sloppy presentation and raising questions about business registrations and oversight — details the organizer awkwardly tried to dismiss as a typo. Those are fair questions when public resources and children’s services may be tied to activists who court controversy.
This episode is a reminder that taxpayer-funded venues are not private clubs. Grand Prairie residents approved sales-tax funding to build Epic Waters so families across the city could enjoy a public amenity, not to underwrite sectarian exclusivity. Local officials ought to remember who they serve and enforce the basic principle that public places belong to everyone, regardless of creed.
The predictable partisan tantrum followed: some Democrats accused the governor of heavy-handed coercion, but their outrage rings hollow when you consider the simple fact that equality under the law applies to everyone. If public officials allow one religious group to exclude others on a municipal stage, they open the door to endless demands and carve up our commons into tribal fiefdoms — the exact opposite of unity and fairness.
Patriots should applaud leaders who defend neutral public spaces and call out flimsy excuses for exclusion. We can celebrate faith and culture without turning our municipal facilities into private enclaves. Texas showed backbone here; now cities across America need to follow suit and protect the public’s property from being turned into sectarian playgrounds.
