North Texas lawmaker organizes petition to governor for canceled Grand Prairie religious celebration

A North Texas water park's Eid celebration has been scrapped after Gov. Greg Abbott warned Grand Prairie it could lose more than $500,000 in state funding, prompting a local lawmaker to launch a petition challenging the decision.

Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark is at the center of the controversy. It is owned by the City of Grand Prairie but operated by a third party.

An Eid celebration, a major Islamic holiday, was scheduled for June 1 at the water park. A flyer initially described the event as Muslim-only, but organizers later changed it to modest-dress-only.

Abbott warns city over civil rights concerns

On Wednesday, Abbott sent a letter to Grand Prairie Mayor Ron Jensen accusing event organizers of advertising the event as exclusive to Muslims, which he said would violate civil rights laws. He threatened to pull $530,000 in state funding, and the city canceled the event.

Texas state Rep. Salman Bhojani, who represents part of Tarrant County and is one of the first Muslims elected to the Legislature, said the governor's actions go too far.

"I feel like it's government coercion, plain and simple," Bhojani said. "I represent thousands of Muslim families in Hurst, Euless, Bedford, Arlington, Grand Prairie, and Fort Worth. They're watching, and I just can't sit silent when their rights are being marginalized."

Lawmakers push back on cancellation

Bhojani wrote a letter to Abbott on Thursday, signed by about 40 other Democratic state lawmakers.

"I want Governor Abbott to withdraw his threat and ensure that Grand Prairie does not lose a single dollar over this. This is completely Islamophobic. This is targeting one faith," Bhojani said.

A representative from the City of Grand Prairie said no one was available for an interview.