CAIR slams Texas governor’s ‘anti-Muslim stunt’ on airport washing stations

What the report says

The Council on American–Islamic Relations has denounced Texas Governor Greg Abbott after he moved against plans for Islamic washing stations, or wudu facilities, at airports in Texas. According to Al Jazeera, Abbott said the installations at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston amounted to religious discrimination and referred the matter to federal agencies for review.

Al Jazeera reported that DFW later dropped its plan for the stations after Abbott threatened to revoke state funding. The airport said it had been evaluating the proposal and decided not to proceed because it would not provide the expected operational benefits. Houston’s airport already has wudu stations, which are used before prayer by some Muslim travelers.

CAIR called Abbott’s response an “anti-Muslim political stunt” and argued that the washing stations would be open to anyone, similar to other shared airport amenities. The group also pointed to Abbott’s recent support for Bible-based measures in Texas schools as evidence of a broader pattern. Abbott has previously accused CAIR itself of being a terrorist organization, a claim the group is challenging in court.

The dispute comes amid wider concern about anti-Muslim rhetoric in US politics, which Al Jazeera said has grown more visible among some Republican figures.