Staten Island Muslims say Rye Playland rules banning head scarves are discriminatory

Staten Island Muslims expressed outrage today when 15 people, including one from Staten Island, were arrested yesterday following a brawl that broke out when Muslim women were ordered to remove their religious head coverings before getting on amusement park rides at Rye Playland in Westchester County.

The Islander, Kareem Meawad, 17, was charged with resisting arrest, obstructing government administration and disorderly conduct, officials said. All the arrestees were released and were set to meet with an attorney today.

Westchester officials released no further information about Meawad, but a published report said that he was beaten by cops and arrested after coming to the aid of a woman who was pushed to the ground by police.

The incident erupted as more than 3,000 people with a Muslim American Society of New York (MAS)-sponsored tour were at Rye Playland celebrating the Eid al-Fitr holiday, which marks the end of Islam’s holy month of fasting, Ramadan.

It is not known how many attendees were from the Island.

Disputes broke out after women wearing traditional Muslim scarves called hijabs tried to get on rides that prohibit any head coverings for safety reasons, Westchester County officials said.

The women were offered refunds. But then male and female visitors started to argue among themselves, according to a statement from the county executive’s office. More than 100 police from surrounding areas converged on the park, and park rangers who intervened were injured and were hospitalized.

New Springville resident Hesham El-Meligy, an interfaith and community leader, said he believed there was “apparent racism” on the part of amusement park officials in administering the rules against Muslim women.

El-Meligy, who was not at the park, said he was told that the women had offered to tie back their scarves in order to make them secure.

“It is mandated religious attire,” he said. “It is not optional to remove it.”

MAS had been advised of the rule numerous times before the event, parks Deputy Commissioner Peter Tartaglia said.

Tartaglia defended the policy against head coverings on rides as a safety precaution. He said scarves can become entangled in mechanical parts, choke riders or fly off and land in a ride’s tracks. He faulted the tour operator for not ensuring the visitors understood the policy.

“We respect the religious purpose of wearing it, but we have several rides that you cannot go on with any sort of headgear,” he said.

The park entrance was closed for two hours as police responded to the scene. More than 6,000 people were in the park at the time.

El-Meligy said that police over-reacted to the situation and made a tense situation worse.

“One hundred police officers?” he said. “And two helicopters? It’s crazy. They made it seem like there was a big terrorist attack happening.”

Shrouk Omar, a junior at St. John’s University, Grymes Hill, agreed.

“I don’t understand why they called so many police over something so little,” said Ms. Omar, 19, a Graniteville resident. “How can the police get away with attacking people like that?”

Ms. Omar said she wears the traditional head covering and said “it’s not reason for anyone to discriminate against me.”

“Jews can wear yarmulkes,” she said. “And nuns wear their head coverings everywhere. It’s a sign of respect, respecting myself and my body, what God gave me.”

El-Meligy did not excuse those with the tour group who may have scuffled with cops.

“The behavior of some Muslims was not acceptable,” he said. “That is not the way to handle things even if you are facing racism and bigotry.”

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