NƯỚC MỸ ĐANG TỰ NGUYỆN GIA NHẬP THẾ GIỚI MUSLIM ĐẠI ĐỒNG - NHỮNG NGƯỜI KHÔNG ĐỒNG Ý PHẢI LÊN CUNG TRĂNG HAY SAO HỎA SỐNG- KHÔNG CÓ LỐI THOÁT NÀO KHÁC NGOÀI CON ĐƯỜNG GIA NHẬP HỒI GIÁO./-Mt68
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Texas governor threatens to pull airport funding over
Muslim foot washing stations.
Story by Melissa Koenig
15 Aug
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has threatened to pull all state grants to two major airports over their Islamic religious accommodation facilities – prompting officials at one major hub to ditch their plans for a Muslim foot washing station.
Abbott announced on Friday that state officials would
begin reviewing grants to the entities at Dallas-Fort Worth International
Airport and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston for possible
revocation and a denial of any future funding.
He also referred both airports to the US Department of
Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration for an investigation.
'Government-owned airports cannot favor one religion over
all others,' the Republican posted to X as he announced the review.
He then went on to call a proposal at Dallas-Fort Worth
to install an ablution facility, used by Muslims to rinse their hands and feet
before prayer, 'illegal.'
'Texas will not allow illegal religious discrimination at
taxpayer-funded facilities,' Abbott declared.
The governor, who has renewed calls for lawmakers to ban Sharia law in the
state, made similar arguments in his letter to North Texas Airport's CEO
Christopher McLaughlin.
He argued that the ablution facilities 'appear designed
to single out one subset of the population for special treatment based on
religion,' noting that the wash station at George Bush Intercontinental Airport
connects to a prayer room that includes copies of the Quran, prayer rugs,
prayer beads and a turban.
'I am unaware of either airport installing standalone
facilities to meet the particular needs of the many other religious groups
represented across Texas,' he noted.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott threatened on Friday to pull
state grants to two major airports
Officials at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport
(pictured) have since scrapped a plan to install a Muslim washing station at
its international terminal
'Both the federal and state constitutions prohibit
government from facilitating this sort of discrimination,' Abbott continued.
'Just as the government cannot favor the secular over the sacred, it also
cannot favor one religious view over all others.'
'It was unlawful to use city-owned property to publicly
advertise a Muslim-only event at a waterpark,' Abbott wrote, referring to a
canceled plan in the city of Grand Prairie to host an Eid Al-Adha event at a city-owned waterpark.
'It is also unlawful to use city-owned property to
publicly advertise a Muslim-only washing station,' he added, noting that
recipients of state grants must certify compliance with laws prohibiting
discrimination.
In a separate letter to Transportation Secretary Sean
Duffy, Abbott asked the DOT and the FAA to 'take appropriate corrective
action.'
'I look forward to working with you to ensure that these
airports conform their facilities to constitutional requirements,' the governor
wrote.
But just hours after receiving the letter, officials at
Dallas-Fort Worth announced they were scrapping their plan to install an
ablution facility at Terminal D.
'DFW was in the process of evaluating an internal
proposal to add a set of ablution washing stations on the pre-security side of
Terminal D, the international terminal,' a spokesperson for the airport told Fox News.
Abbott also wrote to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy,
asking the department and the Federal Aviation Administration to investigate
Dallas Fort-Worth International Airport and George Bush Intercontinental
Airport
Ablution facilities are designed for Muslims to wash
their feet before prayer
'Like all proposed projects, the airport ultimately
considers the operational benefits, customer service impacts, operation of
risks and costs before approving them,' the spokesperson said.
'While that evaluation was planned, the airport
accelerated its review due to elevated public interest this week and has
determined not to proceed with the project as it would not deliver the
originally anticipated operational benefits.'
The project had been officially registered with the Texas Department
of Licensing and Regulation on July 31.
The filing initially listed the project as being
privately-funded, estimated its cost at $300,000 and indicated construction on
the facility would be completed by the end of the year.
But airport officials have since claimed those details
were the result of administrative errors by the airport's outside design firm,
as they stressed that the project had not received a final approval.
'While the estimate noted was $300,000, that was a
preliminary high estimate, and we expect the project, if it were approved to
proceed, would cost closer to $120,000,' a spokesperson previously told Fox.
They then went on to claim that the design firm
mistakenly selected 'private funding' when submitting the regulatory filing.
'That was an error and it should have indicated that
airport funds would be used to pay for the work like all our projects,' the
spokesperson said, noting that the airport does not use taxpayer dollars for
airport operations – and instead relies on revenue streams, including parking
and concessions.
George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston
has had an ablution facility since 2024
Under the proposal for the washing stations at
Dallas-Fort Worth, airport officials would provide a dedicated space in the
public airport bathrooms for Muslims to wash their feet before prayer, an
Islamic tradition known as Wadu.
The project was also intended to prevent airport
passengers from using regular sinks for the same purpose, which had led to
complaints of unhygienic conditions and water on the floor.
George Bush Intercontinental Airport has had an ablution
facility since 2024, when airport officials said 'the calming and welcoming
prayer room provides another option for passengers of all faiths and beliefs.'
Washing facilities and interfaith spaces also exist at
other major US airports, including Chicago O'Hare.
The Daily Mail has reached out to officials at
Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, the Houston Airport System and the DOT
for comment./-
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