Donald Trumps’s theory about American Muslims celebrating the destruction of the Twins Towers after 9/11 has been the target of media scrutiny for nearly a week. Like all his perceived indiscretions, this too shall pass, and Trump will likely plow ahead. As we’ve learned since the beginning of the campaign season, it’s essentially impossible to stump the Trump.
In classic Trumpian fashion, the real estate mogul shot back at the media, purportedly reinforcing his narrative about Muslim celebrations in New Jersey. Trump’s latest tweet appears to corroborate his claims, to an extent:
Look at the editorial I was just sent from the NY Post on 9/14/01 – 3 days after collapse of WTC. Any apologies? pic.twitter.com/b6DKEOk8Px
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 1, 2015
According to Front Page Mag, “Prof. Irfan Khawaja of Felician College and Al Quds University acknowledges that some Muslims did celebrate 9-11.” The social studies academic researched allegations that Muslim youths shouted for joy in Paterson, New Jersey.
Khawaja “did find some witnesses to a small gathering of Muslim teenagers in Paterson that he said may have been the root of some of the rumors,” reports NJ.com. “The location that I have always heard is the 900 block of South Main Street. There is a public library in the vicinity. The story that comes out is a dozen or so young men or teenagers gathered in front of the library and began to yell and act in a way that seemed like a celebration.”
Witness testimony, at the time, also appears to back Trump’s allegations. New Jersey radio station 101.5 compiled a series of anecdotes that provide further evidence for the theory of Muslim celebrations. “I worked for PSEG in Clifton on the Paterson boarder and I witnessed it firsthand. They were celebrating in the streets cheering and stomping on the flag. I am a Marine and I remember very very clearly because I was so pissed I wanted to engage them with a bat I had in my van,” stated New Jersey resident Tom Penicaro.
The catalogue of similar witness testimonies is extensive. “They were in the streets banging on the cars trying to drive through the crowd in the street. The Muslims were shouting death to Americans and Allah is great other crap I didn’t understand. We were amused until a car with 3 young women mistakenly turned on to main st. The muslims were banging on their windows and screaming, that’s when we came out of our car and pushed the muslims off their car helped them back out and get back to the Parkway,” asserted New Jersey local John Pezzino.
“I worked for PSEG in Clifton on the Paterson boarder and I witnessed it firsthand. They were celebrating in the streets cheering and stomping on the flag.”
Marine Vet Tom Penicaro
While Trump’s claims that “thousands” of Muslims had assembled in the streets of “Jersey City” to celebrate 9/11 may be exaggerated, his premise still appears to be sound: Some Muslims did indeed celebrate, despite what the media may have you think.