Harun Nasrullah
A white woman was banned from children’s theme park in Pennsylvania, US, after allegedly telling an African American Muslim mother in hijab to “go back” to where she came from before being recorded in a viral video that police are currently investigating.
Phylicia Smith Alexander was at Sesame Place in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, on August 6 with her family, including her cousin Zafirah Moore. Alexander said they were waiting in line for a ride when they observed a woman using profanity while arguing with another woman.
Alexander said Moore asked the woman to watch her language around children. The woman then told Moore, who is a Muslim, to “go back to where you came from”. Moore said the woman may be “piggybacking” on President Donald Trump’s recent remarks.
“I don’t know her. I can’t say why she did what she did, but she did what she did and she needs to realise it’s not OK,” she said.
“You assumed she was from somewhere else but she wasn’t. We’re from right here in Philadelphia,” Alexander said. Moore began recording as the argument continued. The video shows the woman giving Moore the middle finger.
“Go f*** yourself you b****,” the woman says. The woman then swipes at the phone in Moore’s hand. “Don’t take no pictures of me,” the woman screams repeatedly as children around her cry. “Get your f****** phone away from me!”
Alexander claimed staff treated her and Moore, “like we were the aggressors when in fact we were the victims.”“I’m flabbergasted by the way we were treated, not only by this woman but also by the Sesame Place staff members who took no regards as to how we felt or were treated by this woman nor did they ask if we wanted to file a report against her,” Alexander said
A spokesperson for Sesame Place confirmed they removed the woman from the park and permanently banned her from returning adding, “The Sesame Place family deeply regrets that any park guest would have this kind of experience in our park. It runs counter to everything we stand for.” Middletown Township Police are investigating the incident.
