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Marcus Robertson (Abu Taubah): February 2013 (On The Inside)

Chapter One

As the prisoners file into the chapel, their eyes are scanning the congregation for possible friends and foes. Then, once deciding whether to go right or left, they rush off in their chosen direction to greet their associates from the other cell blocks Speaking in hushed tones, they pass on messages and news from loved ones in far away places. I’m standing in the heart of the chapel by the podium, greeting everyone as they come in.

“Come in brothers! You can sit anywhere you want. As-Salaamu ‘alaykum. Peace, Peace. Yeah maan, you can sit wherever you want. Don’t worry about it; we won’t get started until everybody finds a spot.”

In Prison, people come to religious service for different reasons. Sure, some come to pray and some come searching for the truth, but most come to see their people, or to get out of the cell for an hour or two.

It’s almost time. Everybody’s finally sitting down. Some half-facing each other, some leaning back and others on the edge of their seats: all whispering, smiling and enjoying each others company. Looking around I realize that I don’t know these guys from Aadam. I am a stranger here.

Out of the thirty or so men in this room, only about five of us are Muslims. And two of them are New Shahaadas. So where do I start with these men? They are quite aware of the nature of their crimes. But if you were to ask them, “How could you do such things?” They will explain that they have sold drugs to the most respected Preachers. And have seen too many “Church Ladies” turning tricks to pay their bills not to do such things. In their world, they are normal men trying to survive in a system that has little concern for them.

I recognize that they have seen a lot, but what I don’t know is what they understand about Islaam. Which leads me back to the question of: where do I start with these guys. Hmph, I’m getting a queasy feeling rolling about in my stomach. Steady, steady, it’s time to start, take a breath…

“Rabbish-raH-Lee Sadree”
“My Lord give me the right inspiration,” whispers out of my mouth.

“wa Yas-sir-Lee amree“
“and make this easy for me…”

“waH-LuL ‘uQdataM MiL-Lisaanee…”
“and untie the knot in my tongue…”

“Yaf-Qahoo QawLee.”
“so that they can relate to what I’m talking about.”

Then, raising my voice just above the friendly commotion, I say:

“Bis-millahir RaH-maanir Ra-Heem. My name is Wahshee and I’m going to be teaching the class today.”

Nothing. Most are not paying attention, caught up in conversations much more interesting. When a scattered few give me the, “Go ahead, you’re not interrupting us” nod. I feel a smile growing uncontrolled on my face. I can’t help it. Class is in session… and I love it.

I begin, “AL-Hamdulillah, Getting locked up is almost like dying… only better.”

The low rumble ceases. “Every man in this room knows what it feels like to get locked up right?” Read the rest of this entry »

2 Comments

Posted by aseerun on May 15, 2013 in Habsiyya, Prose by Marcus Robertson

Tags: Abu Taubah, Abu Tawbah, Marcus Dwayne Robertson, Marcus Robertson, solitary confinement

Marcus Robertson (Abu Taubah): May 01, 2013 (This Simple Action Will Change Our Lives)

01 May

Bismillah walHamdulillah wa salaatu wa salaamu ‘alaa rasulillah.

As salaamu ‘alaa man attabi-ul hudaa. I have been in solitary confinement since November 2012. I am kept in a concrete cell with no mirror and no window. The strong, bright lights that glare from the ceiling never dim or go out. A video camera records me 24 hours a day. I never know what time it is and this has caused me to become a nervous wreck when trying to figure out the times for Fajr and Magrib. WalHamdulillah. All of my mail, legal papers, books – including my Quran have been confiscated. Only a small portion of my legal papers have been returned- a nominal amount to support the claim that they returned something.

What has happened? Towards the end of RamaDaan 2011 I was arrested for constructive possession of a firearm and a conspiracy to submit a fraudulent tax return. Both charges are exaggerations of events in order to enhance me to a terrorist. The government has not officially charged me with terrorism, however they have used a clause to enhance the charges to acts of terrorism.

A young Muslim went about bragging to an undercover FBI agent that he wanted to go overseas and fight Jihad and wanted to die on the battlefield and that he learned these things from me. And it is for this reason that they claim that they are prosecuting me. Claiming that I am a recruiter for al Qaeeda and a terrorist trainer.

In support of their claim they are using as proof that I encouraged the young man to make ‘umrah- they say that this was to cleanse his soul in order for him to become a suicide bomber. They are also using the young man’s statements to the undercover agent- which I had no knowledge of nor was I present for when he stated them – and a video wherein I am telling some students that are memorizing the Quran that they are to be real mujaahideen in preserving and protecting the Quran.

As for my legal standing, I have had 6 attorneys thus far. All of whom have quit except the last one who was removed by the judge when he put forth the motion requesting that the prosecution provide proof of their claim. This is when they placed me in isolation. I have seen my new court appointed attorney very few times.

I believe that I can be cleared by bringing forth witnesses, my writings and my works. But that takes organization. Someone to present the facts in a legal format. And this is what I am not able to get done.

AlHamdulillah I would like to thank all the people who are supporting me, helping my family or just going through this with us. Jazakumallahu khayran it is encouraging. I am, walHamdulillah bi khayr and pleased with Allah as my Lord, Islam as my way of life and Muhammad as my prophet.

Please note that we were moving progressively when we were studying Quran, Arabic and fiQh and that this was such a disturbance to the kuffaar that they have gone so far as to label me a terrorist. I think that my most dangerous statement has been to encourage everyone to recite 10 pages of Quran everyday. And this simple action done consistently will change our lives.

.
This walHamdulillah,
Abu Taubah

Marcus Robertson #201100011051
John Polk Correctional Facility
Seminole County
211 Bush Blvd
Sanford, FL 32773
USA

7 Comments

Posted by aseerun on May 1, 2013 in Letters from Marcus Robertson, Risala

Tags: Abu Taubah, Abu Tawbah, attorney client privilege, FBI informant, FiKs, jihad, Jonathan Paul Jimenez, Marcus Dwayne Robertson, Marcus Robertson, solitary confinement

Take Time for Abu Taubah: Support the ‘Glimpses of Qur’an’ Campaign

13 Jan

We Praise Allah and are pleased to announce Mercy Mission’s special release of ‘Glimpses of Qur’an‘: Imam Abu Taubah’s highly acclaimed 30-part series on the relevance of Qur’an in daily life.

The Official Release of Glimpses of Quran

Glimpses of Quran (pictured above is not actual box set; actual product will vary)

This limited-time offer not only features the beloved Ustadh reviewing the essence of each juz in his distinctly straightforward manner, but showcases a valuable opportunity to support Abu Taubah and his family.

With the sudden arrest of Abu Taubah in 23 August 2011, his twelve young children and wives were flung into a world of uncertainty. Struggling not only with the indefinite detention of the Imam characterised by the spectre of wildly fabricated charges, the family can barely cope with the astronomical legal costs of defending Abu Taubah’s innocence in addition to maintaining the everyday needs of an extraordinarily special family.

With the purchase of this box set, one can contribute directly to Abu Taubah’s support fund and simultaneously support the dawah that the Imam dedicated his scholarly life to. But the benefits of seeking knowledge while helping the prisoners does not stop here; in order to reap a greater reward of this exciting opportunity, please share the ‘Glimpses of Quran‘ Campaign with friends, family, fellow students, and community members.

If you wish to contribute directly to the fund, please see here. Remember to always keep Abu Taubah and his family in and your duas, and don’t forget to write to him to lend him your support and share insights about the DVD box set you just bought:

Marcus Robertson #201100011051
John Polk Correctional Facility
Seminole County
211 Bush Blvd
Sanford, FL 32773
USA

A Message to the Ummah from Ustadh Abu Taubah

14 Dec

Alhamdulillah wa kafaa

From Abu Taubah to everyone:

As Salaamu ‘Alaykum wa Rahmatullah.

I’d like first and foremost to thank everyone for continuing to show support through these difficult times. And I would like to encourage and remind myself and everyone else to continue to be patient.

Recently I sued the prison for their treatment that amounts to torture and now it looks like they are retaliating against me. I have been placed into isolation again. This time with no writing utensils, all of my books have been confiscated (including my mus-Haf). They said that they would return it, but when, they don’t know. I have been placed under a general investigation. Along with this lawsuit against the prison, I have served the prosecutor, FBI and attorney general with a lawsuit. These are two civil cases that I have been implementing because of my religiously biased arrest and incarceration.

And I would like the people to write the two judges in these cases and encourage them to honestly investigate the allegations being made by these lawsuits.

There is an attempt on the government’s side to charge me as a terrorist. But I think it is clear to everyone what my da’wah has been from the start. This is to learn the Arabic language, the Qur’an and the ‘usulu fiqh so that you may learn how to apply the Qur’an. I think by now everyone should know how dangerous this idea is viewed by some non Muslims. I just want to reiterate the point: read at least a Hizb a day and try to understand it according to the basics of the sunnah. That’s it, that is my da’wah.

I may not be able to contact you all as much as I would like to, until this is all over. But it doesn’t mean that you are not in my du’ah.

Again I thank you all, over and over, [who] make this easier for me and my family.

Salallahu ‘alaa Muhammad wal Hamdulillah.

15 Comments

Posted by aseerun on December 14, 2012 in Letters from Marcus Robertson, News Items, Risala

Tags: Abu Taubah, Marcus Robertson

Umm Taubah’s Appeal: “There I was, having a seizure out of fear…”

05 Nov

Umm Taubah, wife of Abu Taubah, recounts the harrowing morning of her husband’s arrest and the devastating effect it has had on the family.

Abu Taubah’s twelve children are still suffering, and his family is in dire need of duaa, financial and logistical support.

If you live in the Orlando area and can offer assistance to the family with respect to child care, hot meals, clothing, or medical care, please contact admin@myfiks.org. If you have any legal expertise or would like to refer a legal representative appropriate to Abu Taubah’s case (see here, here, here, and here), please also email the above email address.

Please continue to contribute to the Abu Taubah Family Support and Legal Fund online (enter any amount for Khutbah price):

or by sending checks/money orders payable to:

Makeen Abdus-Salaam
8583 Lake Winddham Ave
Orlando, FL 32829USA

Or electronic bank transfers to:

Bank: Wells Fargo Bank NA
420 Montgomery Street
San Francisco, CA 94104
Account Name: The FIKS
SWIFT : WFBIUS6S
ABA: 121000248
ACCT: 2120911090

Send letters or cards of support to assure Abu Taubah that he and his family are not forgotten in your duas:

Marcus Robertson #201100011051
John Polk Correctional Facility
Seminole County
211 Bush Blvd
Sanford, FL 32773
USA

6 Comments

Posted by aseerun on November 5, 2012 in Campaigns, Collateral Damage, Videos

Tags: Abu Taubah, Action Alert, Marcus Robertson, Predawn Raid

Jonathan Paul Jimenez Faces up to 18 years; Trial for Abu Taubah Still Pending

11 Oct

After years of investigating a supposed international terrorist training ring, it appeared that the Justice Department had finalized charges against Imam Abu Taubah (aka Marcus Robertson) and student, Jonathan Paul Jimenez. A March 14th indictment (now superceded) against the two Central-Florida Muslims culminated in unsurprisingly banal charges of tax fraud.

The outrageous claims to “train in violent jihad” are based on recorded conversations between Jonathan Jimenez and a FBI informant embedded in the Orlando-based community. In the undated conversations embellished with ”yo”s and “grizzie,” it is alleged that Jimenez boldly claims, among other things, that Abu Taubah had commented on the permissibility of engaging in suicide bombings under certain circumstances and targeting US generals in warfare.

Besides the unreliable quality of hearsay in question, Jiminez’s attorney described the exchanges as verbal “chest bumping” in efforts to impress his new acquaintance, the generous informant. Later in September 2011, a month following the arrest of Abu Taubah for possession of a firearm (a charge he pleaded guilty to in January 2012), Jimenez was questioned over the phone by the FBI.

Considering that the informant’s recordings were made prior to the FBI interview, the questioning was designed specifically to intimidate and entrap Jimenez. An agent repeatedly asked Jimenez, “Have you ever told anyone” a variety of possibly incriminating information about himself and Abu Taubah, instead of directly asking about the authenticity of the claims made on the recordings.

It is clear from Jimenez’s responses that he fails to realize that the questions pertain to whether or not he has discussed the issue with another person and not about the issues themselves. For instance, in the following excerpt, the agent does not ask Jimenez whether or not Marcus Robertson taught him how to shoot a firearm, yet Jimenez perceives the intent of the inquiry to be such and answers accordingly:

Agent: Have you ever told anyone that Marcus Robertson or Abu Taubah told you that he was going to teach you how to shoot?

Jimenez: No, not at all, sir, he never taught me how to shoot and, uh, like I said, I wasn’t, you know, he had me there for strictly, you know, studying, and that’s mostly what I was going around, you know, so…

Unwilling to corroborate wild accusations of Abu Taubah’s alleged training, the 28 year old Jimenez was himself arrested March 19, 2012. Five months later, he pleaded guilty to one count of fraud and one count of making a false statement on August 28, 2012.

And though our casual dismissal of another ‘terrorist’ case could end here, Jimenez’s plea reveals issues more disturbing than his own punitive prosecution. It provides grave insight into the serious tone of the allegations against Abu Taubah and the desperation to realize his long term imprisonment.

Indicative of the Islamophobic nature of federal investigations overall, the indictment incredibly cites “reading the Quran, and learning Arabic” as some the sinister activities involved in the purported training.

Additionally, the DOJ press release claims “Robertson [Abu Taubah] stressed that Jimenez needed to focus on the religious aspects of his training,” a strange and slippery piece of evidence that can only lead to establish any type of religious practice as training for terror.

Other skills allegedly “necessary to participate in violent jihad overseas,” included learning martial arts, shooting a BB gun and wielding a knife.

One can perhaps formulate a frightful fantasy where the entire US government and armed forces are brought to their knees by a single high-kick and knife jab, but this selection of circumstantial activities can hardly fit the advertised “violent” training that endangers US lives, domestic and abroad. Read the rest of this entry »

6 Comments

Posted by aseerun on October 11, 2012 in News Items

Tags: Abu Taubah, Jonathan Paul Jimenez, Marcus Dwayne Robertson, Masjid al-Ihsaan

The Struggle to Explain Jihad & Hijjrah: Naseehah from Our Beloved Brother Abu Taubah

19 Apr

‘Ustadh Abu Taubah has been indicted with a new IRS charge. That moves the sentencing date farther off until at least June. May Allah keep him and our family patient as this is taking its toll on our children as well as you all. Barakallahu Feekum.’
Umm Taubah

Please continue to support Ustadh Abu Taubah and his family firstly with your sincere and heartfelt du’a but also by means of your wealth by donating to his defense and support fund which goes towards not only helping with the costs of his legal expenses but also towards supporting his wives and children who are being deprived of the fiscal and physical support of their loving husband and father. And also by means of your self, spending of your time and efforts in taking action to help his family and secure his freedom.

Please continue to support Abu Taubah and his family by writing letters explaining the basic principles of faith as taught by Abu Taubah and by contributing to his family.

And do not forget him & his family in your du’a

1 Comment

Posted by aseerun on April 19, 2012 in Campaigns, Videos

Tags: Abu Taubah, Free Speech, hijjrah, jihad, Marcus Dwayne Robertson, Marcus Robertson

Abu Taubah Resigns To Gun Charges: Keep UP Support

07 Jan

After entering a “plea of guilt” January 5, 2012, Abu Taubah still faces the possibility of ten years or more of imprisonment.

Implementing a time-honored strategy of obtrusion to insure the removal of influential Black and Muslim voices of positive mobilization from their respective communities, an obscure gun possession charge was brandished in lieu of more serious yet unsubstantiated allegations of terrorism as indicated by an evermore ambiguous invocation of FISA.

Among family members and friends who attended the hearing to demonstrate their support for the student of knowledge and Imam, three FBI agents also made their presence known and assured that the miscarriage of justice would continue as prearranged.

Sentencing has been scheduled for March 26, 2012, allowing sufficient time, for those who have not already, to continue to write letters to demonstrate Abu Taubah’s ideological stance against terrorism so that, at the least, his sentencing will not incur a terrorism enhancement.

Please continue to support Abu Taubah and his family by writing letters explaining the basic principles of faith as taught by Abu Taubah and by contributing to his family.

2 Comments

Posted by aseerun on January 7, 2012 in Campaigns, News Items

Tags: Abu Taubah, Abu Tawbah, Action Alert, FBI, Islam, Marcus Dwayne Robertson, Marcus Robertson

Marcus Robertson: December 2011

31 Dec

From: Abu Taubah
To: Everybody else

As-salaamu ‘alaykum,
Al-hamdulillahi Rabbil-aalameen and salaatuhu was-salaamu on the Prophet Muhammad.

To Proceed:
During the last few days of the month of Ramadan of this past year, towards the end of August 2011, I was arrested by the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) and eventually charged with, “Constructive Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.”

Constructive Possession means that a firearm was found in an area that a convicted felon had access to and that the convicted felon had knowledge that the firearm was there.
It is not a condition that there be a motive to commit a crime.

A “Convicted Felon” anyone previously convicted of a Felony offense, any crime punishable by imprisonment for more than one year.

Fact: The firearm was found in my home. My home is an area I have access to.
Fact: I had knowledge of its whereabouts.
Fact: I am a “Convicted Felon”, having previously been convicted of a felony offense. And I have agreed to plead guilty in this case as well.

This crime holds a sentencing range of “zero to ten years.” Meaning, the minimum sentence could be, “probation”, or “time served” and the maximum sentence could be, “ten years.”
Read the rest of this entry »

Abu Taubah’s Imprisoned Voice: What Have I Taught You?

31 Dec

As the United States government aggressively seeks to redefine the constitution and its relation to Islam, many prominent Muslim theologians and students have fallen victim to increasingly hostile prosecution against religious beliefs. Abu Taubah’s recent arrest and other such test cases challenging religious and political freedoms, portend a bleak future for all Muslims in the West.
In Abu Taubah’s own words:

(Transcript found here)

Write your testimony today!

Read what Abu Taubah is asking of you
Explain how Abu Taubah’s teachings reflect a striving towards the authentic practice of Islam
If you are able to, cite specific classes or seminars in which you have grasped the meaning of Abu Taubah’s message and teachings
Define key vocabulary such as “sunnah” and “salaf” and concepts such as “seeking knowledge”, “learning Qur’an”, or “performing Hajj” in light of what Abu Taubah himself has taught
Share how Abu Tuabah’s educational endeavours have had a positive impact on your life and spirituality
Affirm the non-violent, practical, holistic, and positive nature of the “Each One Teach One” approach
Refrain from unnecessarily criticizing the blatantly prejudicial application of law
Even if you have never attended a class by Abu Taubah, but have had the opportunity of hearing a lecture online, or viewing a recorded khutbah, elucidate to the best of your ability on the Islamic concepts you have garnered from his own words
If you are unfamiliar with Abu Taubah, read a short biography of him or watch this inspiring interview.