More than a dozen speakers used Tuesday night's Grand Prairie City Council meeting to criticize the city's decision to cancel a private Eid celebration at Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark.
Gov. Greg Abbott had threatened to withhold more than $500,000 in state funding after the celebration was announced.
The June 1 event was organized by local Muslim families to celebrate Eid al- Adha, one of Islam's holiest holidays.
The celebration was canceled in early May after Abbott accused organizers of promoting religious discrimination based on an early promotional flyer that described the gathering as a "Muslims only" event.
The governor publicly threatened to pull approximately $530,000 in state funding from the city if the event was not canceled.
During public comment Tuesday, several residents and community advocates questioned why city leaders reversed course after initially indicating that organizers had followed the park's rental policies.
Mohammed Abdullah, one of the event organizers, told council members that the city first stated all procedures had been followed before later canceling the event after what he described as political pressure from Austin.
"Tonight we're asking for honesty," Abdullah said. "Grand Prairie proudly speaks about community, diversity, inclusion, respect and being a welcoming city for all people."
Abdullah called on the city to provide a public explanation of how the decision was made and whether it was influenced by the governor's office.
Other speakers echoed those concerns, arguing the cancellation sent a message that Muslim residents were not welcome in the community.
Dr. Angela Lucky, a longtime Grand Prairie resident and community activist, said residents deserve transparency if state officials played a role in the decision.
"Decisions affecting community events should be made locally and guided by the needs and values of the people who live here," Lucky told council members.
Several speakers urged city officials to meet with Muslim community leaders and work toward hosting a future Eid celebration.
Others said the cancellation was especially disappointing for children and families who had planned to attend the event.
The controversy began in May when Abbott demanded the city cancel the event, citing concerns about religious discrimination.
Organizers said the gathering was intended to create a family-friendly environment centered on modest swimwear and was never intended to exclude people based on faith.
City council members did not publicly respond to the comments during the meeting.
No action regarding the canceled event appeared on Tuesday night's agenda.
Emmanuel Rivas Valenzuela is KERA's breaking news reporter. Got a tip? Email Emmanuel at erivas@kera.org. KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members.
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