BS BULLETIN
- DFW Airport has scrapped plans for new Islamic ablution stations after public scrutiny exploded and Gov. Greg Abbott intervened.
- Abbott ordered a review of state grants to DFW and Houston’s IAH and referred both airports to federal transportation officials.
- And there’s another wrinkle: Houston already has an ablution room specifically for Muslim visitors.
Well, that didn’t take long.
Just days after Dallas Fort Worth International Airport’s proposed Islamic ablution stations became a national story, the airport has decided that maybe the whole thing wasn’t such a terrific idea after all.
DFW announced Friday night that it will not proceed with the proposed washing stations in Terminal D.
The reversal came as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott turned up the heat considerably, ordering a review of state grants involving both DFW and Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport and referring both airports to the U.S. Department of Transportation for investigation.
Abbott’s message wasn’t subtle.
“Government-owned airports cannot favor one religion over all others.”
He continued:
“Texas will not allow illegal religious discrimination at taxpayer-funded facilities.”
The governor is asking the Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration to examine whether the religious accommodations at the airports comply with federal anti-discrimination requirements.
And then, suddenly, DFW’s internal review reached cruising speed. The airport said it had already been evaluating the proposal but “accelerated its review due to elevated public interest this week.”
And wouldn’t you know it? After that accelerated review, airport officials concluded the project “would not deliver the originally anticipated operational benefits.” Funny how quickly the anticipated operational benefits can evaporate once the governor starts talking about investigations and grant money.
The proposal called for new ablution facilities in existing men’s and women’s restrooms on the pre-security side of Terminal D. Ablution, or wudu, is the ritual washing performed by observant Muslims before prayer and can involve washing the hands, face, arms and feet.
But there’s an important detail that got lost in some of the original coverage: These would not have been DFW’s first ablution stations.
DFW already has two such facilities on the post-security side of Terminal D, installed during previous chapel renovations. The new proposal was intended to provide similar facilities for travelers and airport workers before they cleared security.
Then there was the rather remarkable series of “mistakes” surrounding the new proposal. The project was registered with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation on July 31. The filing described a project costing approximately $300,000 and listed it as privately funded.
DFW subsequently said both details were wrong. Airport officials said the $300,000 figure was only a preliminary high estimate and that the actual cost was expected to be closer to $120,000.
And the “privately funded” designation? Another mistake.
DFW said the outside design firm had checked the wrong box and that airport funds would actually have paid for the project. The airport stresses that its operations aren’t financed through ordinary taxpayer dollars. DFW generates revenue from sources including parking, concessions and airport operations.
Fair enough.
But that didn’t settle Abbott’s constitutional argument because DFW is a government-owned airport. And Abbott isn’t stopping with Dallas.
Here’s the part of the story that could become even more interesting.
George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston already has an ablution facility. And we don’t have to rely on anybody’s characterization of what it was built for. A City of Houston airport presentation describing fiscal-year 2024 initiatives lists among its completed passenger amenities:
“Completed interfaith prayer room and ablution room specifically for Muslim visitors.”
That’s the City of Houston’s own language.
Houston reporting says the facility has been connected to the airport’s Interfaith Chapel since 2024. Abbott has therefore asked federal officials to investigate both airports.
His argument is straightforward: an interfaith chapel available to everyone is one thing; a government-owned facility specifically designed around the religious practice of one faith raises a different constitutional question.
“Unlike nondenominational interfaith chapels, these ablution facilities appear designed to single out one subset of the population for special treatment based on religion,” Abbott wrote. He added: “Just as the government cannot favor the secular over the sacred, it also cannot favor one religious view over all others.”
The state is now reviewing grants awarded to entities operating both airports for possible revocation and potential denial of future grants.
Houston Airport System had not publicly announced a comparable reversal as of Friday night.
DBS WIRE SOURCES:
- Fox News — DFW Airport scraps controversial Islamic foot-washing station plan as Abbott takes aim
- New York Post — DFW scraps Islamic foot-washing plan as Abbott targets airport funding
- Dallas Express — DFW scraps Islamic foot-washing plan as Abbott calls it illegal
- Texas Tribune — Abbott threatens Dallas and Houston airport grants over Islamic washing facilities
- City of Houston — Airport report documenting prayer and ablution room for Muslim visitors
