CONEY ISLAND — A Muslim woman was called a "terrorist b----" and kicked out of Luna Park after she asked not to sit next to a man on a ride because of her religious beliefs, a new lawsuit charges.
Brooklyn resident Asmaa Abdalla and her husband, Ibrahim Hamed, are suing the amusement park's owner, claiming a fun outing to Coney Island last summer turned into a nightmare when its workers hurled racist epithets and physically assaulted Hamed because of her request.
The lawsuit says that the couple was at Luna Park on July 30, boarding a flume ride called "Wild River," when Abdalla asked the operator not to seat her next to an adult male to keep in accordance with her religious beliefs.
But the ride operator said no, telling the couple, "They could get off if they didn't like it," according to the lawsuit filed last week in Brooklyn Supreme Court.
Abdalla decided to stay on the boat ride because other people started to board behind her. But when the ride ended, the couple complained to a supervisor about the operator denying her request and about their boat getting stuck at one point.
The lawsuit says that to compensate them, the supervisor gave the couple a free ride in their own boat.
But the racist rants started when the couple finished their second go-round on the "Wild River" and separated to go on different Luna Park rides, the lawsuit says.
When Abdalla again requested not to sit next to an adult male at another ride, the operator refused and wouldn't let her get on.
"At this point, park employees, including the ride attendant from 'Wild River,' became hostile, surrounded Asmaa Abdalla and began yelling racial slurs at her, including calling her a 'terrorist b----,'" the lawsuit says.
Hamed witnessed what was happening and led Abdalla away, but the park workers followed them and told them to leave the park, according to the lawsuit.
When the couple refused, an employee grabbed Hamed and tried to rip his admission bracelet off his hand, the lawsuit says. The couple then tried to leave, but an employee assaulted Hamed, "striking him in the face and causing severe physical injury," according to the lawsuit.
Angie Morris, a spokeswoman for Luna Park, which is owned by Central Amusement International, denied Abdalla and Hamed's allegations.
"We have a company-wide commitment to accommodate guests of all religious beliefs," Morris said.
Abdalla and Hamed, who live in Bensonhurst, could not be reached for comment.
Maksim Leyvi, a lawyer for the couple, declined to comment on the lawsuit.
