Accusations of wrongdoing can be frightening. If they are true, the consequences can be overwhelming. If they are false, you have an almost impossible task proving that you DIDN'T do something. That's why in the United States, the burden of proof is on the prosecution. It's up to the one pointing the finger to prove that the person at whom the finger is pointed is actually guilty.
An accusation has haunted Arab Americans: Arabs danced on 9/11. We needed to determine if this was true for several reasons. If this is true for anyone, then why are you living in this country if you hate it so much? If Arab Americans weren't dancing, then this rumor is simply another example of how irresponsible media have contributed to the prejudice Arab Americans experience.
Atlantic Avenue is home to the oldest Arab American community in Brooklyn. Omar Salem manages Tripoli Restaurant on Atlantic Avenue. His family owns the establishment (as well as the building) and lives down the block. Omar was born here, earned his bachelor's degree in business management and is enrolled in master's program in computer science.
"I heard that rumor, as well as others,” Salem said. “For example, that there were some Arab American guys who lit up cigars and had their photographs taken on Atlantic and Clinton Avenues with the World Trade Center burning in the background. I asked everyone if they saw anyone dancing on Atlantic Avenue. Nobody saw anything; nobody even heard that rumor until they read about it in the New York Post. I was watching the news last year, and they were talking about Arabs dancing here and in Palestine and they showed footage of people dancing in Palestine,” Salem said. “All the stations showed this footage. CBS was the only station that ended up apologizing for showing the footage when they discovered that it was actually shot after Ramadan and not on September 11th. Nobody showed footage of anyone dancing here..."
We also stopped to talk with two men in front of the Yemeni Café: Yehia Mohammed Ali, a phone card dealer, and Mohammed Meysari, a car service driver. "It's a lie created by the Jewish media in an attempt to separate Arabs from America and cause problems. We were here on Atlantic Avenue. "Nothing like that happened. How can we be happy? We are Americans, too."
"Who can accept innocents being killed? Even insensitive people would be sensitive to this. The killing of innocents is against Islam and against the laws of nature." "Life has changed too much. Innocent people are being arrested. There is too much lying going on. People are being arrested because of tip offs to the INS by vindictive Arabs looking to get someone into trouble. The authorities believe the information and arrest innocent people."
"Yesterday, the police stopped me on the Brooklyn Bridge and searched my van because I look Arab. The authorities are closing in on us; a lot of people's homes have been raided. They just break the doors down and search your house.”
Tony Sadek, originally from Lebanon, works at Damascus Bakery and has been in the United States for 12 years. "It was so sad here all that week. It was awful,” he said. “We know what it is to be attacked. We lived this in Lebanon. This is why I came here. I love this country. I'm proud to be here. Nobody danced on Atlantic Avenue. I never saw or heard anything like that. Everyone was so sad."
Melko Karkanni, an immigrant from Syria, owns a grocery store on Atlantic Avenue. He has had family in the United States since 1909. "A minority of Arabs may not be truthful when they talk about their love of this country, but the large majority of Arab Americans truly do love this country,” said Karkanni. “No one danced on that day. I have been on Atlantic Avenue for many years. How can we dance? Who would dare to dance while his country is hurting? This is my country. I have been here for 25 years. I know New York better than I know Syria."
Could they all be lying to protect their image? Is it possible that they did know something about this rumor and were reluctant to discuss it, given how difficult things have been all year? What would the non-Arab Americans have to say about this?
Tony Searselli manages a bicycle shop on Atlantic Avenue. He's lived in this neighborhood for years and freelances as a stringer for a New York news agency. "I don't believe anything unless I see it with my own eyes,” Sarselli said. “I heard that rumor and I didn't see anything like that. I was here last year. The shop was open. I couldn't close it even if I tried. Nobody could use their car, the trains were down, and lots of people bought bikes to get around. I would have seen something or heard something if anyone was dancing here that day. I heard a rumor that they were dancing at a mosque in Bay Ridge, but like I said, if I don't see it for myself I don’t believe it."
Eliot works at the Brooklyn House of Detention: "I don't care what negative crap the media has to say about any oppressed group. I know it's a bunch of lies. Nothing out of the ordinary happened here last year. No dancing, no vandalism, nothing."
Why has this rumor persisted? Perhaps the people accused of such callousness were so consumed by grief and pain and terror (like every other American) that they just didn't have the energy to tackle a lie so outrageous and vicious. We had originally planned on continuing our investigation in Bay Ridge and Paterson. Why, though? Just to prove a negative?
