paint this picture for us uh you're at
home and there's a murder a driveby that
takes
[Music]
place I think was February
13th
1988 around 6:00 p.m. that evening was
very cold and it was
snowy that was number six and I'm
holding the sign like this they were
suppressed they suppressed each
supressed that was not the case because
of what happened here there were three
key Witnesses on my case that would have
been a totally went for me police
officer a bus driver and a mailman
independent you can't give him
bail says you want to tell me what to do
in my
courtroom but the judge said that I only
had one key no copies and I threw the
key in the middle of the ocean
why did he say
that that will never come out I'm a
Muslim you know that she says to me oh
Muslim what is it I says I don't eat
this month and she says to me very
interesting
mhm I want to do the same
thing this is the this is
the this is
the this is the
the
the this is
the
the assalam greetings of peace now my
next guest Imam Sami Lea wasn't always
an Imam but imagine I I want you just to
imagine you're at home and next thing
you know there is a murder that happens
and the police are coming to look for
you you're totally
innocent we're going to go over this
case but at the end of this case he
added the Imam after his name because he
actually became an Imam incredible story
so many gems of wisdom that we're going
to be going through in this man's
journey and it was a top case that now
he ended up going through all these
tests and trials to get to where he's at
today so we're going to go ahead and
interview him and see where he was where
he's at where he's going here with my
next guest Imam shik Sami
Lea as you can see we're here busy hard
at work working to get the de Center up
open and running
inshallah and I want to thank all of you
for your tremendous consistent support
and did you know that the most beloved
Deeds to God Almighty Allah are those
done consistently even if they're very
small and we've got a ton of small
projects big projects from doors and
windows inside work outside work and
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we put up two new roofs with your help
we got three more roofs that we have to
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Acres so pick a project big or small
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below donate right now may God Almighty
Allah reward all of you Salam Alum
sh how are you doing sh alhamdulillah
how you been how alhamdulillah yourself
nice to see you nice to see you too same
here you have a a very interesting
Amazing Story it's something that films
movies are made out of you are um born
and raised in uh in New York uh no I was
born in uh
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia H I came in New York when I
was around 12 years old 11 12 so grew up
yeah New York City since 12 on New York
yeah that was living in New York around
that time was uh very rough wasn't it
I'm talking about in the 60s yeah we
came in 67 1967 I was around 11 years
old how was it growing up in New York
was uh you know as as you know New York
City was rough I mean you know uh all
depends where were you you know even so
New York has different parts some parts
are rougher than than others of course
was your neighborhood rough I mean we
lived in different parts of uh Brooklyn
all the time I mean we never lived in uh
one particular neighborhood you know uh
we moved from here and there of course
now your family is Albanian yeah was
there predominantly a lot of albanians
in this neighborhood well I grew up of
course uh there were a lot of albanians
uh but uh the neighborhood was always
mixed you know Jews Tans and uh Irish of
course now most albanians is it right
that most albanians are Muslim yeah yeah
yeah yeah most albanians are Muslim of
course so were you a practicing Muslim
at that time uh no no not really no were
you far away from the dean yeah yeah of
course I mean I we came here and this
you know as I said very young and uh and
those is uh was you know we had no
connection with Islam of course nothing
no prayer no fasting no I mean my my uh
the Elder like my sisters and my mother
and them yes but not me and my brothers
no mhm all right so you uh you pretty
much uh grew up in the streets of New
York and that was kind of your um your
your life there yeah I grew up in New
York City yeah all my life I've been I
lived there all my life yeah I me yeah
so you're at home paint this picture for
us uh you're at home and there's a
murder a driveby that takes place yeah
and now you end up getting locked up for
a crime that you didn't commit yeah and
the evidence that we go over it's clear
this is not this is not a um a mistaken
identity or this is not something where
this is pretty much you have suppression
of evidence you have pretty much the
system is trying
it's clear as day as we're going to show
they're really trying to lock you up and
keep you locked up and you almost got uh
life in prison for this crime no I did
get life you did get life yes yes I did
get life of course and uh you know out
of that I did 12 Years M you know but uh
they found you guilty and you got life
in prison yeah I went in front of a jury
and uh you know uh I was found guilty in
1990
and then I came out uh in 2001 but
people think hold on that's a jury of
our peers 12 people yeah this is
democracy yeah it's the best system and
they found you guilty how are you not
going to be guilty I mean all depends uh
uh you know the system is uh uh what
whatever you you present in court you
know and uh whatever they they presented
in court I had no defense because my
defense would have been was suppressed
there were three key witnesses to my
case which I would have never been
indicted if they would have came up in
uh court all right we'll get to that but
tell us what actually happened oh the
how did it all
start that was uh
1988 I think was February
13th
1988 around 6: p.m.
was uh I was at my house with uh my
family members of course and uh that
evening was very cold and was snowy
drizzle whatever it was you know and
uh the next
day uh cops came looking for me then I
showed up in the prison and then they
told me that you have to come back for a
lineup then I went for a lineup
and then they picked me up on a out of a
lineup and then I was
indicted and so let's stop there for a
moment let's talk about this lineup
because if people hear that they say
hold on someone is in a lineup and
that's fair okay they got other people
there's six people total in the lineup
and now the witness picked you out if
you're not guilty how are they picking
you up there were two witnesses two
witnesses they were interroga for around
12 hours in the police station we we
come to find out this after after the
fact after the trial and everything but
uh yes I was put in the lineup with five
detectives there were five detectives
and each one of them held a number sign
one from one to five I was number six
and each one of them
pointed under the sign where you know
the number mhm number from number one
number two number three number four
number five they all had they fingers
pointed towards me they're all
simultaneously pointing their their
finger towards me they have their number
1 2 five six and they point the finger
they're pointing towards me I was number
six from one to six right and I'm
holding the sign like this right and
they all holding the signs like this you
follow and anyway but they picked me up
and but there were five detectives
though working on my
case right yeah so you know this was
very obvious how do you feel at that
moment they they came to pick you up you
knew where you were you knew where you
were that you weren't there what what do
the uh paint that scenario how many
detectives are interrogating you and
how's that interrogation going what kind
of questions are they asking what are
you saying
no when I was put in a
lineup That was it once you get put on a
lineup when I was picked
you immediately you get arrested and you
get indicted and charged and then you go
through the system was there I mean did
you have a sit down before the lineup or
after yeah but was brief was like uh
just like lineup they were getting uh in
motion to put the lineup up yeah and
then they told me okay stay here hold
this sign hold this number six sign and
you sit down here and we're going to
have you on a lineup if you don't get
picked up by any you know you never know
you if you're not a guy nobody's going
to pick you up you go home but if you if
you get picked up then you're going to
you know you're going to get S were you
nervous really I was not because I
didn't think that you know that was
going to be all set up to to pick me up
I I was you didn't think there was this
conspiracy going on behind the scenes I
don't I know in that time and that's
what it ended up being it was a
conspiracy oh yeah I mean I was big
conspiracy I was railroaded railroaded
yeah okay so now after the lineup they
want to know your Alibi right where were
you what's going on there was I I mean
during during the investigation they did
all that probably you know yeah and but
the whole thing was my
lineup was the icing on the cake once I
got uh picked the was the the case was
uh was uh was sealed in other words okay
but your Alibi was they asked you where
were you the night of of course yes and
you said what did you say I told them
exactly what I I was home of course you
were home did you have someone to
substantiate that my brothers but they
that's not good enough for them but your
brother was home with you yes my brother
was home uh my family members that time
they were uh I now has been a little
long time ago but
uh maybe uh um my mother my
sister-in-law okay they all testified
that you were home they they
were they were all questioned and they
said exactly what happened okay but they
didn't go further though that's what I'm
saying they really did not go further
with those people they just how were
there two three one main detective how
many did they did they have like a main
detective on the case yeah yeah how was
he treating you how was he corresponding
with you he was
[Music]
pretty normal yeah normal normal normal
so how long does this all take before
now you're in the county jail no this is
Brooklyn New York yeah this is not
County okay this Brooklyn uh so when
whenever they put me on a lineup they
gave me a date date to go on a lineup
yeah and I forget the name exact date
what it was but it was very soon was
maybe 3 weeks later and they told me
you're going to come on a lineup so I
came on a line lineup and they had all
settled they had everything uh prepared
for the lineup once I was uh picked on
the lineup I was uh taken in locked up
and charged okay then from then on I
went to
uh uh to courts mhm and the courts uh
yes so after the lineup you went
straight to jail I mean you get you get
indicted and you you know how long
take immediately the same night same
night exactly where are they holding you
that's in the isn't it the county jail
they're holding you it's called Brooklyn
House of detention oh detention okay DET
detention that's the you know like a
County Jail whatever you want to call it
okay same like County so that's where
you're you're waiting until you go to
the penitentiary or federal court
wherever no you see it's a process over
there you go through courts yeah the
courts will decide right yeah and once
the courts deci you go to jury I had a
jury with picked up the jury so you
stayed at the Detention Center the whole
time now no I was there for maybe 3 4
months 3 four months I I made bail after
I made bill then I the 1990 that's when
the jury uh the trial started how long
did the process take uh five weeks five
weeks until you get the the jury no no
five weeks the whole Court I mean the
process yeah was five weeks the my trial
five weeks five weeks from when you got
indicted no no I was indicted 88 yeah I
came out on bail about three four months
later okay okay and then uh the trial
jury started in uh I think
February of 1990 and ended in March 26
or so the whole time you were before the
trial you were you were on bail yes I
how long was that approxim about year
and a half year and a half okay so now
trial comes now that lasted about four
or five weeks yeah go come talk to us a
little bit about that what what are you
thinking even before the trial this
whole thing is happening what's going
through your mind what's happening in
life is anything changing anything
different are you now you're getting to
see your attorney you got attorney now
and he's getting to collect all their
evidence and you're like okay evidence
is coming and you're like I was at home
you're like this is big mess happening
this is conspiracy what what what is the
kind of evidence that's coming forward
word that and and how was your reaction
to that you see you got to understand
that uh this is 35 years ago now you
know we're talking about 35 years ago
it's not today it's like long time ago
but I can tell you that uh you know you
kind of trust a little bit the system
yeah you know you have faith on the
system and then you come to find out
it's not true because
uh you figure you have uh 12 jurist
deciding the case right and uh they all
have to be anonymous on a case and it's
going to be kind of you know fair but
that was not the case because of what
happened here there were three key
Witnesses on my case that would have
been a totally win for me police officer
a bus driver and a mailman
independent they were they seen it they
seen exactly what happened
and that you know that would have
totally contradicted those two witnesses
that put the finger on Me on the lineup
who were those two witnesses now they
were boyfriend and a girlfriend just
walking a dog or walking home I don't
know yeah how did they get involved now
uh the the cops they went to the house
at night and they and they you know this
is their testimony they said that they
took us to the police station they held
us all night and they they kept on
showing us pictures and your pict pict
by Sam's picture was always probably
coming up that's how they did it so this
way they get memorize my my my my face
you understand but what did they
describe happen you were saying that
they actually described you coming out
of the car pulling the trigger and going
back to the car right he's a blatant lie
exactly why did they lie like that
because so because what if if you
whatever who knows this is something
that Detectives know how to how to work
a case I guess but I could assume
because if they they suppress these
three key
Witnesses and they know probably that
their story will stick and I'll I'll get
uh convicted that's why so the other
three Witnesses you said a police
officer off duty detective yeah you have
a mailman and a bus driver yes they
actually saw what happened exactly what
do they see they seen a totally
different scenario they seen a car
coming from a
light stopped at at a light all of a
sudden when the light changed the car
sped off passed the
bus and did the shooting like in a in
seconds and took off
mhm you know so they all see the same
thing mailman a bus driver and the
police officer which in trial those two
witnesses uh they said that they see me
waiting in the car waiting for somebody
all of a sudden I'm smiling at them this
is totally crazy right smiling at them
that's how they remembered me smiling at
them this is totally not the case so
that's they made the jewelry feel they
seen me of course smiling and keep on
kept on looking at me and I'm looking at
them all of a sudden few minute uh few
feet after after they kept on
walking uh few minutes or few whatever
then they seen
me outside shooting outside of the car
shooting down this person the Witnesses
are saying that those two boyfriend and
girlfriend right by the curb yeah came
out of the car and went by the curb and
shoted this person which is totally
that's why I came out yeah because that
that that was not the case but the bus
driver police off duty police and the
mailman yeah they're
saying something totally different they
said totally like I said they said the
car
came on the left lane the bus is on the
right lane there two two lanes going two
lanes coming right and uh cut off the
bus made the abrupt stop and shot fired
maybe 10 whatever times and just took
off it was just a hand out of the car
there a hand the gun came out with a
hand out of the car and shot and took
off so all all their stories in they
were in line with uh three of them they
said the same thing they all said the
same they happened to be there yes okay
why weren't they there before you got
indicted before you even got sent to uh
the detension center why weren't there
their
testimonies taken
into into account because they were
suppressed they suppressed these they
suppressed one of the I I'll explain it
to you the bus driver they even changed
his
name they changed his name so he will
not be be tracked they Chang changed his
his name who changed his name the police
because they had this this uh this
testimonies when the night of the
incident yeah okay because they did the
investigation but they don't want to
they suppressed them MH so this where
they only use those
two uh boy a boy and a girl so they
could indict
me what were you thinking at that point
I mean so did you know did your did your
attorney even know about these three
Witnesses
the if I remember the
attorney he knew and did not know much
because that he was
prevented he was prevented from doing uh
going calling Witnesses from the judge
the judge uh uh told uh my attorney do
not get Don't Go Near those Witnesses in
court who told the judge the judge
because the the the district attorney
asked the judge
to to to uh to not uh to hold them from
from to hold them from uh interviewing
the witnesses that order present you
understand yeah so that's how my my
attorney could not get the testimony
okay
um so even the judge is saying not to go
near these Witnesses that's the judge
ordered attorney not to go near those
three Witnesses uhuh and that's that my
attorney could not interview them yeah
did the judge know their account of what
happened do you think the Judge knew saw
their testimony I have no idea I cannot
say it okay and at that point you don't
know about these Witnesses no we didn't
know you didn't know how did you come to
know about the witnesses after I got I
got convicted uh we the we hired a
private investigator m private
investigator went on and found them and
tracked them down and got to uh and got
to the testimony and he found out that
that was the whole thing wow Subhan
Allah how did he track them down he you
know he went to I guess you know private
investigators that that's what they do
they they want to know who seen and who
did who did so who seen anything so
that's what he did he went and looked
for them and found them and he got them
who idea aidea was to get the private in
this is after you got convicted yes okay
Le Let's uh before we get whose idea was
to get the private investigator I mean
my family your family yeah yeah I was
inside of course uhhuh some things
happened while you were out on bond you
shared a story once because you're not
practicing at that time and you're still
kind of um you know on the street no
this is before this is when I was when I
was first picked up on a lineup my my
four months when I was inside was when I
was going trying to get bail okay that's
what you're talking about yeah was uh I
I was remanded I was not supposed to get
bail right okay and that's uh we were
going to courts and was a Jewish guy an
older guy and uh he was going to go home
that day yeah so wait wait where where
is this
now what's the timeline with this when
is this happening this 1988 no but when
is it this is like now within the two
years that you're waiting for for s for
court to start yes I was inside you're
inside this is after you got convicted
no no before I got convicted when I got
got indicted okay indicted you know it's
when you get indicted you are indicted
with the what I see okay all right
you're not supposed to get bond to get
out right that you were out for those
two years now okay now it's understood
and what happened I was going through
Courts for a while it's called like
Bullpen therapy you know they keep
bullpen therapy you know they they they
try to get you to uh to get uh disgusted
to try to to you know to tie you down
yeah you know so this way you can you
can just uh take anything and just leave
go up state or you know so what happened
is we're going to courts back and forth
every day you know almost like very
frequently you know going back to court
try to try to get Bound for me so I was
denied you know I was remanded REM means
you you don't get no uh no bail you know
so that day uh was this uh Jewish guy
was an older man he was very nice nicely
neat dressed with a tie and a suit
you're in the bullpen with a Jewish man
yeah and uh and he
had yam and everything and uh he says to
me Sammy listen uh I'm going to uh go
home today uh I want you to to get my my
uh my number give me a call because I
want to come and see you you guys were
already forming a relationship I mean uh
through that day yeah through that day
through those hours cuz you're there all
to all day together yeah so what was he
in there
for I forgot I don't know but he said
that he was going to go home that day
right yeah he was going to just you
heard about those was he in there for
those tunnels yeah you heard about the
tunnels in New York no no the
underground tunnels you know about that
okay go ahead no anyway so uh he said
I'm going to go I'm going home today so
here's my phone number and and call me
because I want to come and see you uh so
I says all right good luck all of a
sudden they call his name you know they
call his name so he can go in front of
the judge maybe half an hour later he
comes back he was supposed to go home he
was supposed to get freed from the
courtroom and go home that's what he
thought anyway so when he comes back all
of a sudden I don't uh a different
person almost like he took off his
th he he took he took off his yamaka and
he was kind of very uh
interess and he threw Yaman around and
he says there is no God and he cursed
you know there is no God you know hear
me yeah I said to myself what the this
guy is a religious guy all of a sudden
what happened and I
I called him I says is that you he says
to me yes said Can here says what did
you do that for I says you know there's
no God you know they want they gave me
three
years I says so there's no God because
just they they gave you three years
there's no God me I'm defending yeah so
he says you
know yeah I'm sorry I said you should be
asham of yourself you told him that I
says ain't you shame of
yourself ain't you he says to me I'm
sorry I said no that that's
not
acceptable for you to put that low to go
that low there's no God just because
something
happened so and that that touched me a
lot yeah yeah I was very touched what
was your relationship with uh and what
and what happened
is the same day
they called me I mean that that about
half an hour later hour later I get
called
in and uh I get
bailed so now this is your bail hearing
now they call you in but I was not
supposed to get bail yeah what happened
why well because they said the district
attorney I will not give me bail uh
whatever the you know and the the judge
that was in my case totally agreed wait
there was a totally agreed listen to me
totally agreed not to give me bail and I
kept on telling my lawyer I don't want
to go in front anymore whatever happens
let it happen because you know I'm
getting tired back and forth back and
forth back and forth so that day
was uh my judge probably must have went
happened something or went someplace and
they gave me a different judge Ruth mus
is this lady uh lady judge it just
happened to be now you went in front of
different but it's a different judge
right yeah same case yeah of course so I
go all of a sudden they started to argue
back and forth back and forth and the
judge who's arguing the da the The Da
and my my lawyer they arguing back and
forth and uh and the da says you cannot
give this
man bail and the judge says what
says you you can't give him bail because
whatever I don't know exactly what she
said to him what he said to to the judge
and the judge says don't tell
me if I give baill or not bail this is
my courtroom he says no no no you can't
give him
bail says you want to tell me what to do
in my
courtroom her name was Ruth
MTZ says I'm going to give him bail
right now
$250,000 so I come out so anyway and
that's what happened you know in this
case but uh the Jewish guy he really I
was very offended when he said there was
no God that was one of the things that I
kind of took to heart so obviously you
weren't practicing but you believed in
God yeah always always yeah yeah always
so what happens now so we move down the
line it's trial I've always believed uh
in God but I didn't know much yeah and
now there's another unique story this is
is this happening during the U the
waiting for trial that you're what's
happening at that time anything from the
time that you got Bail two years later
you're going you're just going to court
back and forth back and forth is any
unique things that happened during this
time yeah uh we're talking about uh what
happened is
uh uh uh
between uh when I came out of on bail
until trial I was out on bail I was out
so in
1989 New Year's
Eve I was uh uh going to
manatt I was me my wife in the back of
the cab driver in the cab and a friend
of mine was sitting in the
front with a
capab yellow capab you know those years
they had the plexiglass you know the
bulletproof that you could not uh
interact with the cap driver yeah you
only sit in the back and all of a sudden
this guy's uh a friend of mine that is
in the front is talking to this scab
driver and tells them are you
[Music]
Muslim because he had a beard and his
name was a Muslim name of course
Muhammad or mahm or something like that
you know
Ahmed and the guy says alhamdulillah I
Muslim so this friend of mine says I am
Muslim
too so oh mallah alhamdulillah the the
cab
driver he says where you going he says
we're going to celebrate New Year MH he
says oh you Muslim he says yes yes but
you can't celebrate New Year we don't
it's not a new year so the my friend
says and I'm
listening he says is the new year for
the whole
world the whole world is celebrating
tonight I said oh masah excellent he
told him exactly the truth to myself I'm
said W he got him my friend is right so
the guy says no it's uh we Muslims we
know we have we don't celebrate New
Years and that's how they went back and
forth but I'm
listening I'm listening and they go on
from one conversation to the next and he
makes sense and my friend who kind of
little bit hypo MH so then I want to ask
the C driver a
question and I have my wife on next to
me in the C as we sitting so what he
does
he flips the
miror as flips it up right mhm so you
don't see me I say to myself what what
did he do that for I kind of I kind of
guessed I says maybe if that's the case
you don't want to see my wife that's
good but otherwise I said why would he
do that
you know kind of strange to me because
of our culture I you know that makes uh
sense not to look at
woman so I said I'm going to ask this
guy if if that is the
case or not so when we stopped in front
of the place where we going to celebrate
New Year's
Eve he uh I told the guy my friend you
can go inside I want to speak to him
So I says to the C driver I want to
speak to you says to Sure welcome I says
what did you uh flip the M he say to me
because of that I don't want to uh we as
Muslims we don't like to stay and look
at woman I said wow I said that's what I
wanted to he I says very nice I says I
want to speak to you a little bit more
because I was listening to the
conversation with uh my friend yeah who
he made sense speaking about Islam you
know yes so I says I want you to come
inside with me because I want to speak
to
you he says to me I know I can't I said
no no no you want to come in you want to
come you're trying to get the cab driver
the Muslim cab driver into the club yeah
yeah I says that place was called JS
vanam we were gone that evening and we
have a VIP section that we were supposed
to meet me my friends and everybody El
So I says to him you want to come with
me I says one
drink he says to me no I can't said
listen only one says no not not at all
that's how it starts with one huh he
says not at all I said what do you mean
he says I don't drink I said okay so
then come anyway don't have to drink you
come inside he says I cannot go inside
that was more attractive to me
now he says to me I canot go inside I
says listen why not I says I
know uh imams when they come to our
weddings they come to our our
places and they don't drink but they sit
with us who you to tell me that you
can't come
in he says to me no I'm sorry
I'm sorry about that I just cannot come
in I because I'm not supposed to go
enter whatever there there is alcohol
served and I'm forbidden to go
there that's when I said wow that's
beautiful do you believe that that says
to him he says to me yes he says here's
my
card whatever you want to talk to me
call me I come and meet you any place
but not in not the way alcohol is served
so I took the card I put it in my my
coat pocket and I went inside when I
went inside all my friends inside some
of them told me
Sal you know like I thought they were
joking yeah I thought they were like uh
joking with the guy because my friend
one told them that he was talking to
Muslim guy and I am engaged in
conversation so they kind of kid but I
got I was offended why they said that
because I wanted to protect him because
he was he I was very impressed by his
faith MH understand yes so then I hit
the table and says no one talks against
that that guy said no we're not talk
that I said no no that he was very
honorable
man that was one of the things that
really uh touch my do you see that that
was
the
start of a journey that brought you to
you to where you are today and let me
that evening I I uh I was with uh my
friends and of course my wife with me
and I my wife said to
me entire evening that night New Year's
Eve you were very touched you were very
serious different than other times
mhm uh so what happened
is
uh the next day I looked for his phone
number I had lost it I think had lost
the code too the code and and the his
phone number either or but something
like that and I didn't have because he
gave me a business card to gold man and
I lost uh his card and everything else
but that was uh the last time I seen him
and then what happened is I blew trial
two and a half two and a half months
later what do you mean you blew trial I
mean I was uh found guilty oh that means
you were found guilty yeah so now two
and a half months later I go inside you
go inside and you're found guilty yeah
and then I was sentenced for
life and then the verdict came down you
sentenced for Life yes at at what point
did the judge tell you that you have you
getting out would be like finding this
key in the ocean you see what happened
is in that uh time uh there were motions
made to go in front of the judge you
know different motions I I forget that
they they have certain names how you put
you present motions in front of the
judge because the jury found me guilty
but the judge said that I only had one
key no copies and I threw the key in the
middle of the ocean why did he say
that he just meant that I will never
come out that's what he meant so the
judge he made that comparison now like
he I only had one key right and he threw
it in the ocean and that's going to be I
threw it inid of the ocean
so it's not going to come out that means
you're not getting out you're going to
spend the rest of your life in jail what
happens now firstday in
jail what do you mean now you're
convicted do the second day of Ramadan
it was the second day of Ramadan yes
yeah I mean how are you feeling I mean
now you're you're convicted for
something you know you didn't do right
yeah and you're giv life life in prison
what's going through your
mind uh I says yes I says uh this is uh
something different now mhm you know uh
you know this is my
faith I says to myself this is my
faith Let It
Be I was
very
content I
said something good might happen
yeah that's what I said and
uh when I uh went
inside uh I heard uh them call in
Ramadan Ramadan going to you know to
breakfast on the 10th floor in Brooklyn
house it's called Brooklyn House of
detention where they keep you until they
send you up State So I
says uh put my name I want to go
uh with the Muslims
mhm
so uh one of the CEOs puts my name
down and they call Ramadan to go you
know before to break fast so we all get
in like in a group and we go on the 10th
floor upstairs where they like the
theater the theater they they turn it
into a uh Muslim prayer Hall so we go up
there and I see them maybe 15
20 uh Muslims uh reading the Quran and
uh you know just uh waiting for to break
fast and I go and join
them and they
are uh they were very happy to see
me you
know uh there was kind of surprised to
see
me uh and they said oh welcome welcome I
said okay yeah I go inside but I was not
fasting MH and they were all
fasting and then uh they were reading
the
Quran and everyone is reading a little
bit and and pass to the next and next
and all of a sudden comes to me and they
pass me they would not let me read and I
kept on saying why they don't let me
read you know so again the second time
they did the same thing I said wait how
come you guys don't let me read I didn't
know how to read English that time of
course not much you know
so they said to me uh no because uh you
we
don't uh read Arabic and we don't
understand Arabic so it's no sense so
that's why we only can read the
English so I said but listen I'm not you
know I'm just like you guys I'm not
different than you guys I don't know
much you guys more know much more than
me they said no how's that I said yeah
you guys know more much more than me
maybe you guys can teach me they were
surprised how's that you know because
they're black you know uh and they see
me different color they figured I'm I am
an Arab you know so I said
listen I don't know much so all of a
sudden they they brought the dates to
break fast right and lot of food and
they told me a break fast I said what am
I no I says I'm I'm not
fasting I said no I said no I'm not
fasting they said oh that's very
beautiful I said why because usually
nobody tells us like that they make
believe they fasting I says no I'm not F
I'm going to tell you I'm fasting when
I'm not fasting so one of them there uh
like he was like a little bit like uh
the
leader and I said St listen I want you
to teach
me
[Music]
uh what do you mean I says I want you to
teach me whatever you know mhm he says
to
me you going to teach me I said no no no
no I don't know nothing you know so he
says okay so that's how I started the
next day I started
fasting wow so this is this is all
happening right away soon soon as you
enter this is right away had a plan for
you right away I see took me a couple of
days whenever you go through the system
to go upstairs but I don't know maybe
three four days five days how long after
that first day did you start fasting and
then you start praying I started fasting
immediately immediately immediately soon
as after that day when they told me uh
to to break fast I said I'm not fasting
so then you started praying at the same
time huh yeah very I said yes so what
happen is then my wife comes to see me
in uh to give me a visit to pay you know
to to visit me so she says to me what do
you want to
eat I said what are you talking about
what do you want to eat I says no
nothing no she says to me what do you
want to drink nothing so she says to me
after a while you want to eat something
I says listen I'm not I am fasting what
is that she goes to me I says I'm a
Muslim you know that she says to me oh
Muslim what is it I says I don't eat
this
month and I don't drink he says nothing
I says
no she says to me very interesting
mhm I want to do the same thing I says
okay I said when you leave here go
outside Atlantic Avenue there's there's
a
bookstore go by Quran and read and come
back you know she does she go when she
leaves she goes by the Quran she goes
home reads
it and she comes back and she says to me
this is my faith this is what I believe
all my life I always believed this
is at what I've read in the Quran wow
and uh and she starts fasting I don't
know how fast she starts fasting and she
comes to me and she tells me how you do
this
I started to fast but it's very hard I
says you know I says I you you can't
fast she says to me why I says because
you're fasting for me that's why you
can't fast you got to fast for
Allah oh okay h i says that's why she
says to me why you are so you you
confessed I says you know the reason
between you and I I'm fasting for Allah
you fasting for
me so so anyway so my wife also started
to learn mhm and started practicing
Subhan Allah now pretty much can you say
that that whole time from the first day
you got in to jail they put you there
this whole big conspiracy that it was a
training that you were getting educated
and learning your Dean you were learning
Islam alhamdulillah I mean you see in uh
uh Allah like you said had a plan for me
yeah and the plan was
amazing was the best
thing that could have ever happen you
said once uh that you would you would
not have no matter what kind of money
they give
you yes uh a lot of times uh because
people knew I I I was innocent through
and true yeah you know and uh those
those years uh they used to come and
visit me when I was in prison constantly
non-stop non-stop I mean I had visits
every day I was it was not a day that I
didn't have a visit was hardly a day
that I didn't have a visit my family my
friends and so forth right and uh they
were very broken down my family members
because what happened to me and they
would come and they would say uh they
would try to give me hope like or try to
tell me something things going to
happen because we found this and we
found that we found that I and I would
tell them
listen let me tell you something don't
worry about
me and they would
say yeah know you know uh the tragic
tragedy what happened to you why not
worry I says listen I am doing
fine I will tell you I'll give you an
example I will give you an example if I
had 5,000 years to choose to
live free with the entire world under my
feet I would not want to live like
that back in Jah how you were living the
days of ignorance without Islam right
and I would stay in prison 5,000 years
the way I am content and happy and
and never regret
it tell me this um sh when did you get
the private eye and then at one point
did the private eye say because this is
a private eye that he was charging at
that time what like $200 an hour was it
yeah that was uh this uh this man who
was uh his name was Dick Molina dick
Molen he was very famous uh he was a
detect a private investigator but he was
detective all his life and he he worked
for the New York Police Department uh
police officer detective all his life
and he was in that time 68 years old he
came to interview me and he came to uh
uh and he said that
uh uh he did interview with me for
about from 3:30 or 3:00 in the afternoon
till
9:00 in the end alarm just before 9:00
before the visiting room
closed he said
that I charge $200 an hour I did all the
investigation so far in your case you
were the last guy that I came to talk to
he said I believe in
you 100 or th% I know you innocent
everything you told me is the
truth from now on I will not charge a
penny I will not Tire until I take you
out of
here that's what he did and that was his
promise he kept it he kept and he's the
one that uncovered the three the mailman
the policeman and the yes he's the one
he's the one he he went and then he went
much more than that but this was the
key uh my case yeah and he got them and
he spoke to them day in day out he went
and went and found out other evidences
and so forth but he kept his word
and uh he never charged me a penny he
yes because I mean he wouldn't waste his
time effort and now put everything on
the line not get paid at the end and he
knew he's got experience now he was a
police officer now he's a prime time DET
uh private eye detective and he's like
you're innocent and I'm going to stay
with this case until I get you out and
that's what he did I'm he said to me I
believed every word you said to me I
believe everything you said to me every
word you said is the truth and he said
from now
on from now from now
on I just want to meet you but
not a penny I will charge so what
happens now so he's accumulating all
this evidence and then what happens
there after that how long did you how
long did it take to get an appeal you
have to get an appeal now that's not
easy to get an appeal right no I never
uh took all together 12 years 12 years
to get that appeal yeah even though the
evidence is clear
yes yeah of course I was uh you know
because of course take long time
yeah you know it's not it's not
something that you want to go through
them take they take you have to exhaust
one quot from one to the next and to the
next but once the evidence was presented
it didn't even go to jury or trial right
it was thrown out what happened it goes
to different judges yeah so but they
rejected it uh they rejected all the
evidences until
went uh went to the three court uh three
judge panel yeah and they were Sonia Sor
the one that Obama picked she's in
supreme court today Sonia s s mayor
judge Jacobs and Judge
Parker you know it was very interesting
when they took the
case and they you know they have a
system like 10 minutes the da will speak
defend his case and my lawyer have to
speak 10 minutes but my lawyer same da
uh uh same office of course uh but what
happened is I uh my case was picked up
from a firm the second biggest firm in
the
world and they took it proon mhm you
know what that means proon pay anything
yeah free free and they took my case and
uh
they took it all the way to
the ab scopus mhm Court hius Corpus what
does that mean for people that don't
know uh this court that uh you
know different channels of court system
yeah and then went to the district court
so now the three judge panel what
happens with them they uh they see the
case was
totally uh uh tra uh uh Injustice
travesty of Justice they seen that and
they uh they ruled they took my case
back to the court they said uh they
opened up the case and then I came out
on bail again
$250,000 and uh then the courts they
dropped the case because they know they
messed up now the other how many judges
before the three penel judge
did denied it how many about I think
about three or four three or four I'm
not sure now these are smart people
intelligent people why do you think the
first one let it on the second and the
third and then the fourth and it had to
come to the three judge panel I heard
because a lot of times when you get a
conviction most judges don't want to
step on other judges toes and now they
don't really they just kind of follow
what the other one did and blind you
know they're not really looking at it
from the lens of Justice it's like they
want to step on the other judges toes so
it's kind of a system is is that the
case there a possibility Eddie because
how can you not I mean it's so clear
when you have the three Witnesses and
then the all the other evidence that the
P the investigator putting forward just
the three Witnesses alone right there H
how can they not open it up again there
is a possibility and you know could be
different reasons probably some of them
they do not even read it yeah some of
them they don't even here or they're not
interested or they they don't want to
step on other people's toes like you
said yeah or they are they believe who
knows they believe in the system yeah
and they would not bother you know and
they will just probably just put it on
their lug you know so all these three
agreed there wasn't like a split between
them or what was it no what happened is
it was very interesting uh what happened
in this in this uh day in court tell me
uh like uh the DA has to speak 10
minutes and that's it he has a timer
yeah and 10 minutes com in and you have
you have uh your time is up you can't
speak no more so he spoke for 10 minutes
right
no I don't know which one spoke first my
lawyer or the da but what they told me
was when uh
the day started
speaking the the judge the judge Soto
mayor kept on questioning the da and
telling them what do you think you were
doing on this
case and they were really upset at the
da so when my my
uh lawyers started speaking after you
finish 10 minutes you're not supposed to
speak anymore right they they kept on
each one of them told him speak more 10
more minutes 10 minutes 10 minutes your
attorney they wanted your attorney to
keep speaking exactly yeah and my lawyer
said after that day when they left the
courtroom said we're going to hear
something in about a year at least we'll
take for a decision took only three
weeks they reverse the case three
weeks did anybody after that suffer any
consequences the DA's office did the
police officers did anybody they are
immune from prosecution Eddie that's how
the system is but uh no I mean
uh I came out uh and then the case was
dropped but it was clearly misconduct
here expressing the evidence it was a
conspiracy to to keep you in jail to get
you in jail and to suppress the evidence
is that tampering with evidence I mean
isn't that uh they're breaking the law
so was there any kind of ifications yeah
you came out but that's why I came out
because of what they did for example uh
the like I said the three judges they
said what the da was thinking on this
case what he was thinking and so forth
and kept they kept on uh pressing and
pushing the The Da what happened here
they knew what happened so they seen it
they all seen it and they uh they did
and they just ruled on what was right
yeah all right so now fast fast forward
you have this
lifechanging journey that you went
through that we can spend hours going
into more I'm sure details and
extracting more gems and everything but
from from the beginning you can see that
Allah the creator of the heavens in
Earth is now guiding you and you're
going through this for a reason there's
obviously a plan here yes and the plan
is now you're alhamdulillah you're on
the dean show sharing your story you're
actually an Imam you went on to be an
Imam here and in uh Florida we're here
at the dean Center you're not too far
away you're in close to Orlando is it uh
Davenport yes Davenport uh so take us
real quickly before we conclude what you
you got so grounded into your Dean into
Islam that you opened up a Masjid and
you became an Imam you got you were
studying studying studying learning
learning learning and be so committed uh
but if you didn't go down this path if
you didn't go go through this trial and
tests and everything how do you think
life would ended
up like I said you know this was the you
know that's how Allah W for me to wind
up to be uh to come to to Islam
alhamdulillah this is a name from Allah
this is a blessing from Allah I could
never thank Allah about this but yes
this was the best thing ever happened to
me and of course those years that I was
inside
[Music]
uh uh I kept on
uh learning and kept on the exploring
Islam and you know that was my main
thing and I also then wind up uh uh
teaching Islam in prison after a while
because Allah gu made it happen for me I
I met people that they were uh very
knowledgeable when it came uh to Islam
and they were uh they helped me through
about learning
uh the Arabic and learning
the to read and write and so forth and
uh then uh I also at one point I had
Islamic Studies teaching people
newcomers or uh the population about
Islam uh for a few years you know
alhamdulillah uh but that was
uh uh I had all the time in the world
and that was one of the blessings that
uh I will never forget mhm because of
the time that was that uh
Allah put me through alhamdulillah
alhamdulillah we often hear that there
are so many people in the prisons there
a there's a lot of Muslims there is it
right and there's a big
growing uh commitment to Islam there
that it's the fastest growing religion
not only outside but inside the prisons
also I mean listen uh yeah when I was uh
uh
in Islam was not
uh as today was uh you know you had this
different uh denominations of Muslims
they you had the Nation of Islam you had
this Muslim uh uh and you didn't have
the true the the true teachings of Islam
you know so but alhamdulillah in my
situation was a little different Allah
surrounded me with people that they had
lot of knowledge and I had uh I came
across people who had diplomas in Islam
uh in Shar and so forth and that he was
one of my teachers mhm uh I think for
about six seven years yes that I stood
with him and he was one of them who
really uh helped me through uh
alhamdulillah but uh yes Muslims are uh
uh
engaged uh in prison uh in uh they they
convert a lot of
conversions and like everything else but
some of them they take Islam as a group
they take Islam as a gang there a lot of
them like that and then that uh happens
also don't forget that it's not all
because uh some of them they take it for
protection some because they have
something uh to rely on stu stuff like
that but yeah but Islam is going in
prison now probably it's even more and
when I when I was in
MH I want to thank you thank you for
sharing your story thank you for um
these gems that inshallah people can go
ahead and look at what you went through
and they can benefit from that and
inallah be
inspired um to go ahead and look for the
not yet Muslims and non-muslims to um
look into this book that changed your
life the Quran changed your wife's life
and to this day
it's uh your Guiding Light and this way
of life that you're on Islam and this
journey inshallah it impacts uh
millions and helps them to uh find their
purpose in life
alhamdulillah anything else any closing
comments anything else you want to share
with us any um projects or how people
can reach you I mean I uh I commend you
a lot what you're doing is great
alhamdulillah keep it up uh for those
who who are uh uh out there you know
Islam is a way of life for all people
all times in all places uh be
open-minded and do not be uh uh
uh don't fall into the Trap of the media
and what's going on and so forth
propaganda it's against Islam of course
it's the highest day but uh yeah be
open-minded because Islam is a way of
life for all peop all times and all
places thank you