CAIR Condemns Texas Governor Greg Abbott Over Airport Washing Station Controversy

The Council on American–Islamic Relations (CAIR) has strongly condemned Texas Governor Greg Abbott for his opposition to Islamic pre-prayer ablution stations, known as wudu, at two major Texas airports. The civil rights group labeled the governor's outrage as another "anti-Muslim political stunt."

Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) decided to scrap plans for the wudu stations after Governor Greg Abbott threatened to strip state funding from the transportation hub. The airport stated that it accelerated its review due to public interest and determined the project would not deliver the anticipated operational benefits.

Governor Greg Abbott previously ordered a review of both Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston—which already features wudu facilities—citing potential religious discrimination and threatening to revoke state grants. He also referred both locations to federal agencies for investigation.

While Governor Greg Abbott argued that the government cannot favor one religious view over others, rights advocates maintain that providing such accommodations does not violate the law. CAIR emphasized that the foot-washing stations are accessible to all travelers, comparing them to interfaith prayer rooms or bidets found globally.

CAIR further criticized Governor Greg Abbott for hypocrisy, contrasting his stance on airport washing stations with his support for displaying the Ten Commandments in school classrooms and mandating Bible stories in public schools. The civil rights group urged the governor to address pressing state issues instead of pursuing politically motivated controversies.