Religion: Six Flags over Islam

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Shireen Khan, 19, in running pants, a plain white shirt, Reeboks and a lavender hijab, was waiting in line for the Nitro with two female friends. She pooh-poohed the notion that the day's event might be a kind of refuge for an overscrutinized community. "It's not about that," she said. "I come here twice a year, and I like it, but today there's good halal food, and there's prayer. We have so many friends in the tristate area, we never see each other, and today everybody's here." Her cousin Soofia Tahir suspected there might be a bit more to it. Perhaps it's a pride thing? "No, it isn't," Khan asserted. "Yes, it is," said Tahir. "There's no pride," Khan shot back. "You mean like being vain? " "No," said Tahir. "I mean like bonding." She paused and gazed up at the Nitro's looming bulk. "If it's raining, I'm not going up on that thing."

But eventually they did. Higher and higher their car climbed--230 ft. and then 85 m.p.h. free fall. Khan's hijab flapped but held. "It was good," she exclaimed at the ride's exit. "I'd never been on a roller coaster at night before. When you open your eyes, there was just, like ... nothing!" She smiled broadly. Then she made her way to the ladies' room, ritually washed her hands, face, arms and feet and found a small group of other women by the Ferris wheel. Turned into silhouettes by its dazzling illumination, they prayed.