Muslims start riot in theme park over headgear ban on rides

[cyberdude558]

Rye Playland was shut down Tuesday after cops scuffled with Muslims upset that women wearing head scarves were barred from the rides, witnesses said.

Fifteen people, including three women, were charged with disorderly conduct and assault in the chaos, authorities said.

The Westchester County park was packed with Muslims celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr -  the holiday marking the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

One woman, Entisai Ali, began arguing with cops over the amusement park's head scarf, or hijab, rule, said Dena Meawad, 18, of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.

The ban, which is not Muslim specific, was imposed about 3 years ago mostly to prevent hats from falling onto the tracks of roller coasters and other rides, park officials said.

"The cops started getting loud with her and she started getting loud, too. They pushed her on the ground and arrested her," Meawad said.

Her cousin, Kareem Meawad, 17, went to try to protect the woman and was beaten by cops and also arrested, she added. Her brother, Issam Meawad, 20, was pushed to the ground and taken into custody when he tried to help his cousin, she said.

"She just wanted to get on a ride. That was it," Dena Meawad said of the initial confrontation. "It's clear, this all happened because we're Muslim."

John Hodges, chief inspector of Westchester County Public Safety, insisted that police did not use excessive force.

He said up to 100 cops from surrounding departments converged on the park.

Two park rangers were injured in the melee, prompting felony assault charges against two people arrested, officials said.

The ugly incident happened just after 1 p.m. The event was organized by the Muslim American Society of New York, and attracted 3,000 Muslims from Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Westchester County.

Ali's sister, Ayman Alrabah, 24, of Brooklyn said her husband, brother and father were all tackled by cops and put into handcuffs when they tried to help her sister.

Alrabah said she was unaware of the head-scarf rule until she and her sister tried to get on the park's Dragon Coasters.

"We requested a refund and all of a sudden an argument became a riot," Alrabah said. "Cops came. They were hitting my brother, my dad. My husband was on the floor and they were handcuffing him.

She said her 4-year-old son was "traumatized" by seeing his father arrested.

"They treated us like animals, like we were nothing," Alrabah said. "They came with their dogs and sticks. We came to have fun."

Peter Tartaglia, deputy commissioner of Westchester County Parks, said the Muslim American Society of New York was warned in advance of the rule barring head scarves on rides for safety reasons.

"Part of our rules and regulations, which we painstakingly told them over and over again, is that certain rides you cannot wear any sort of headgear," Tartaglia said. "It's a safety issue for us on rides, it could become a projectile."

Many Muslims were given refunds as they left the park disappointed.

"In this heightened state of Islamaphobia, a woman wearing a hajib is an easy target these days," said Zead Ramadan, president of the Council on American-Islamic Relations - New York. "Unfortunately, this turned ugly due to a lot of miscommunication."

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/new-york/muslims-police-scuffle-rye-playland-over-amusement-park-123309825.html

[OneTruth]

they shouldve tazed em

[JavaRay]

They shouldn't even have been allowed in the park.

[Huey Freeman]

The bigotry on this board is astounding.   

[JavaRay]

The bigotry on this board is astounding.

My girlfriend is a muslim. 

[Huey Freeman]

The bigotry on this board is astounding.

My girlfriend is a muslim.

My apologies if I misunderstood you.  "They shouldn't even have been allowed in the park" can mean a lot of things.  Perhaps you meant they should have been informed of the policy at the entrance gate.  However, feeling how they do about this issue, the disturbance would have then just taken place at that location as opposed to inside the park.

I still say there is a lot of backwards thinking communicated on this board from several people.

[cyberdude558]

They were told by the park's management before they even got there that headgear is prohibited on certain attractions due to safety issues.

If you go to a park and you dont follow the rules, you get kicked out. It has nothing to do with your religion or race. Just because you are muslim doesnt give you the right to break any rule or law you like.

Did police overreact? I have no idea. I didnt see the incident. But the whole thing started because someone didnt want to follow the rules that were made very clear. If you want to challenge those rules, there are better civil ways to do so than to start screaming your head off and attacking cops.

[Chief Joseph]

I still say there is a lot of backwards thinking communicated on this board from several people.

Damn those honky **CENSORED**s!

[TheChronicHotAir]

guantanamo.










 

[Legend]

LMAO. This is seriously posted around every park I've been to about no loose items or hats. They just wanted to get in the media and it worked.

[pewtersurf]

"She just wanted to get on a ride. That was it," Dena Meawad said of the initial confrontation. "It's clear, this all happened because we're Muslim."

haha!  Yes that is the only reason.  When you get on a rollercoaster, if they ask you if you are muslim they kick you out of the park.  They must have never seen a midget before.  They are the true "Muslims" of the theme park world. 

[Skull and Bones]

they should let them go on so long as they sign a waiver.  I think that's fair. 

[Mean D]

The bigotry on this board is astounding.

My girlfriend is a muslim.

My condolences.

[nybuccguy]

they should let them go on so long as they sign a waiver.  I think that's fair.

 Signing a waiver does not eliminate the safety concerns for the other park attendees. A waiver would be pointless.


The ban, which is not Muslim specific, was imposed about 3 years ago mostly to prevent hats from falling onto the tracks of roller coasters and other rides, park officials said.

"Part of our rules and regulations, which we painstakingly told them over and over again, is that certain rides you cannot wear any sort of headgear," Tartaglia said. "It's a safety issue for us on rides, it could become a projectile."

[TheChronicHotAir]

I think they need to WATERBOARD them.