A Muslim family says staff at a Virginia hospital told them they looked “scary” and requested they leave when they tried to visit a newborn family member.

According to the newborn’s aunt, Arwa Zahr, who spoke to News4, the family was confronted by a security guard when they arrived at the Inova Fair Oaks Hospital birthing centre in Fairfax, Virginia, who told them they were not allowed to be there.

“He screams and he says: ‘You’re not allowed to be here!’ And then he said: ‘You know, you look scary,’” she recalled. “I was shocked, like, ‘Did he say that?’”

The reason they were turned away, the family believes, was because of the niqabs the women were wearing - which only show their eyes.

After returning back downstairs, the newborn’s father, Ahmed Zahr, attempted to intervene - at which point the guard summoned the head nurse.

According to Zahr, as his mother tried to explain their side of the story, the head nurse told her: “Close your mouth or I’ll kick you out” and “nobody wants you here.” The head nurse then called police.

The family spoke with the police, who they said were helpful, and then left shortly after the incident - at which point they filed formal complaints against Inova.

In a statement, the hospital told the Associated Press it is reviewing the family’s complaint.