New York – A ban on religious and other head coverings on rides at a suburban amusement park on Tuesday sparked scuffles leading to 15 arrests.
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Rye Playland, just north of New York City, was crowded with roughly 3,000 visitors from a Muslim tour group celebrating the Eid al-Fitr holiday, which marks the end of Islam’s holy month of fasting, Ramadan.
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. Two park rangers who intervened were injured and were hospitalized.
The tour operator, the Muslim American Society of New York, had been advised of the rule numerous times before the event, parks Deputy Commissioner Peter Tartaglia said in a phone interview with The Associated Press.
The group did not immediately return a call for comment Tuesday night.
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.
Tartaglia said all the people arrested were later released. Westchester County officials would not say what the charges against them were.
You gotta love it. If you dont like it, make it into a war!
If it looks like discrimination, if it sounds like discrimination, if it smells like discrimination – then it is definitely discrimination.
Yesterday it was hijabs; tomorrow it will be tichels and yarmulkas.
It just so happens that a group of yiddish boys were there yesterday too and were made to take off their yarmulkes and they did not object. When you go on a ride where your yarmulke or other head covering will fall off and that could put someone in danger what do you expect. You have to follow the rules of the ride if not don’t go on it. It was a scary situation but b’h everyone got home safely. The Muslims were just looking to make a scene.
It seems to me that when one is religious there are activities that one will be precluded from participating in. For instance, our women are prevented from taking part in various sports because of the laws of modesty and they accept this. What do these Muslims want?! American society must not cave into them.
If one feels they are so devout as to not be able to remove their head covering for the ride, then they should forgo the ride or the amusement part altogether.
It’s like skiing. Or water rides. If one has to use ski pants and a woman feels it undermines her tznius, the DON’T go skiing.
Common sense people.
Not everything is discrimination.
#3 excuse me…WHATS A YIDDISH BOY?
Did you mean JEWISH boys ?
Did you mean the sephardic boys didnt remove their kipot ?
Did you mean polish not Israeli?
C’mon get into the TORAH not the ghetto of nazism.
WE ARE JEWS
WE ARE ONE NATION.
SHEMA YISRAEL
Isadora Duncan the ballerina, who died about a century ago, was known for her long, elegant, trailing scarves. One day, she was the passenger in an open-air car. The long scarf caught in the spokes of the car tire and, yes, that was how she died.
TWO MAIN point that you all seem to missing is that :
“The tour operator, the Muslim American Society of New York, had been advised of the rule numerous times before the event, parks Deputy Commissioner Peter Tartaglia”
The Muslim Tour operator KNEW the rules, They were explained before hand. And point two:
“The women were offered refunds. But then male and female visitors started to argue among themselves, “
Looks to me the Muslim women were angry at their men folk for not telling them the situation before hand.
The disturbance was amongst the Muslims themselves. NOT between the Muslims and the Park!
THIS HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH ANTI-SEMITISM OR ANTI – MUSLIM!
can’t you people read!!!
If one feels they are so devout as to not be able to remove their head covering for the ride, then they should forgo the ride or the amusement part altogether.
It’s like skiing. Or water rides. If one has to use ski pants and a woman feels it undermines her tznius, the DON’T go skiing.
Common sense people.
Not everything is discrimination.
What about other amusement parks? Do they have the same rules for similar rides? If not, why not?
The next thing that’ll happen is they’ll sue every butcher that doesn’t sell Halal meat. They’ll even demand that the government create an animal akin to pigs so they’ll be able to get halal pig meat.
Anybody who’s religious should be aware that religion comes with restrictions and you need to sacrifice many things that don’t conform with your religion.
#’s 14 and 15 both posts are right on the mark. #13 your history lesson makes a valid point. Let me add the park has it’s rules for the safety of those on the rides. Why would anyone want to challenge the rules and over-ride the safety issue.
From whatever info I got out of this article, it seems to make sense. There are many rides that seem pretty moderate, that require pants, like kids’ rock climbing.
Question… Does anyone know what the halacha is? Are you allowed to remove your yarmulke to go on an amusement park ride?
Let one of them get killed for violating these safety rules and then maybe they’ll get the message.
I love Pinny’s #24 comment. Right On!!!!!!!
I read somewhere that you’re allowed to take your yarmulke off when you go swimming, take a shower, go to sleep, have a haircut, walking in a high wind area where it would blow off and get lost, etc, etc. I guess that’s a da’as yachid.
IMHO, scarves are a danger issue. I tie mine under my chin and have had no problems in the UK, BUT, if requested I would ask if pinning it down thoroughly is enough, if not I either take it off ar don’t go on the ride.
Muslim women who participate in sports wear close fitting headcoverings, similar to a bathing cap, made of lycra and other materials that could not possibly get caught in a ride, called an Amira.
I am an FFB Orthodox Jewish woman who imports and distributes Muslim clothing. Many of my customers are Jewish shops as well. I import and sell thousands of sports head coverings each year.
Perhaps it is understandable that a loose, flowing scarf should be prohibited, but what about a snug fitting lycra sports cap that absolutely hugs the head?
I sell a lot of these to both Orthodox and Muslim women.
#32 , whats your doubts? Be clear and exact.
I AM A KOHAINE from a community that doesnt allow converts, intermarrige and assorted outsiders.to show how tolerant we are. We are not diverse and intolerant t strange thoughts. We respect all orthodox Torah Rabbis and Rebbeim of all Ashkanaz sects.Our knitted kipot and ‘black hats’ and left over bar mitzvah kipa in red blue green or yellow all sit together.We support and own institutions throughout Israel.Rabbis from all over come to our many shuls in Brooklyn for financial or political support.We have a mikveh and bet din. No marriges will be permitted by our Rabbis if the lineage is not known and verified by a proper ORTHODOX community Rabbi.We tend to stay within our community to preserve JUDAISM AS GIVEN BY OUR FOREFATHERS. Our siddorim are based on the ancient olderst liturgy of ARAM SOBA.If a Rabbi when reading the Torah sees an error he immediatly closed that TORAH AND OPENS ANOTHER. NO TOLERANCE FOR DEVIATIONS FROM THE LAWS HANDED DOWN AT MT SINAI BY OUR GREATEST PROPHET MOSHE RABBEINU.
Now explain YOUR problem…after you read #23 .
WE ARE ONE JEW
Yiddish boy is derogatory, thats exclusion not inclusion.
WE ARE ONE JEW !