Dallas Airport Installing Foot Washing Stations for Muslim Travelers

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By HANNAH KNUDSEN

The Dallas Fort Worth International Airport is set to install privately-funded, dedicated Islamic foot washing stations in the facility, according to documents from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

According to the document, the project, which comes at an estimated cost of $300,000, is expected to begin August 31.

Women and men will have separate facilities that will not be shared between the sexes.

“Project consists of adding Ablution stations to existing concourse level restrooms in Terminal D, one Men’s ablution station in existing men’s restroom and one Women’s ablution station in the existing women’s restroom,” the details of the project read, as some say this will help eliminate the use of sinks in that capacity and keep the floors dry.

Reports indicate that this is a privately funded project and the stations will be in Terminal D of the airport. Audacy notes that this terminal “handles many of DFW’s international flights.”

The move is generating quite a bit of backlash on social media.

“The airport already maintains dedicated prayer rooms for Muslims and provides Qurans on the shelves,” one X user said. “Texas is already one of the top states being invaded by Muslims, with over 220 mosques throughout the state, with more being built…”

“The Islamic invasion is what will turn Texas blue,” one X user remarked.

“Texas has been lost. WTF has happened down there?” another asked.

Other airports have similar accommodations for Muslim travelers, including Chicago O’Hare and the George Bush Intercontinental Airport, the latter of which announced its ritual washing and prayer stations in 2024.

“The ablution room, also known as a Wudu or Tayammum facility, connects to the prayer room and features dedicated entrances easily accessible from the concourse,” th February 2024 press release reads. “The ablution room allows passengers to engage in the ritual washing of hands, feet and face before prayer. The ablution room leads into a shared prayer room that can be separated by a partition.”

It continued:

In a thoughtful response to requests from passengers, the new ablution room was meticulously designed as part of the planned renovation of IAH Terminal D. The new space includes benches, coat racks, space for luggage and is fully ADA-accessible. Both the ablution room and prayer room are finished with calming blue quartz tile and comfortable carpeting, a welcoming invitation for passengers for all faiths to enter and reflect before continuing their international travel. Passengers will find copies of the Quran, prayer rugs, prayer beads and a turbah, used by some during prayer. Airport chaplains are working with Houston mosques on proper measurements for the qibla, the direction towards the Kaaba in the Sacred Mosque in Mecca.

The project is expected to be complete by the end of the year.

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