Texas waterpark supported with taxpayer funds hosts 'Muslim only' day, sparking backlash

Epic Waters, a taxpayer-funded Texas water park, is facing backlash for hosting a day "for Muslims only." 

The scheduled June 1 event is being advertised as a "family-friendly environment" with a "modest dress code," at which halal-slaughtered meat will be served. The swimwear considered appropriate for the event would have full-body coverings. 

The event, with ticket prices starting at $55, is being organized and run by the East Plano Islamic Center. 

While men and women wouldn't be separated, attendees were told to "uphold Islamic etiquette" by "lowering the gaze" while at the park, according to the Daily Mail. 

The Daily Mail says it contacted Epic Waters and the East Plano Islamic Center for comment, but a response does not appear in the tabloid newspaper's story published Monday. 

The 80,000-square-foot park was funded with $88 million from taxpayers, and Grand Prairie voters approved a quarter-cent sales tax in 2014 to pay for operations. It opened in 2017.