Crosstalk: January 24, 2017

Before delving into the main topic, Jim touched on the following:

--Prayers going out to the people of the Hattiesburg, Mississippi, area because of deaths that have occurred due to recent storms. A number of executive orders have already come through President Trump's office:

--One directs federal agencies to ease the regulatory burdens of Obamacare.

--Another imposes a hiring freeze for some federal government workers as a way to shrink the size of government.

--Trump also signed a notice that the U.S. will begin withdrawing from the Trans Pacific Partnership.

--He also issued an order to reinstate the Mexico City Policy. It's a ban on federal funds to international groups that perform abortions or lobby to legalize or promote abortion.

Under the Bush administration we saw Islam proclaimed to be a religion of peace. Under the Obama administration we saw further advancements toward acceptance of Islam. So what about about the Trump administration? Will Islam be the same?

Joining Jim to answer that question was Usama Dakdok. Usama is the president of the Straight Way of Grace Ministry.

As Donald Trump was giving his inauguration address, he said, 'We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones and unite the civilized world against radical, Islamic terrorism which we will eradicate completely from the face of the earth.'

As a followup, he went to the CIA and when addressing those workers he said, 'We have to get rid of ISIS. We have no choice. Radical Islamic terrorism, and I said it yesterday, has to be eradicated, just off the face of the earth. This is evil. This is evil.'

In response, Usama noted that if President Trump will not end the existence of the jihadist groups that go by different names in the next four years, he promises that they will not be taken off the face of the earth. They will grow and become powerful.

Usama apparently believes President Trump will make a difference because he said he's proud of him and he also believes that the president will 'walk his talk'. His concern is for those around the president who will do everything they can to make him 'soft'.

Much has been made about the women's march on Washington. One of the leading organizers was Palestinian/American activist Linda Sarsour. She's the executive director of the Arab/American Association of New York, an outspoken critic of Israel who is in favor of the Hamas inspired boycott, divestment and sanctions movement (BDS). This group was formed shortly after 9-11, not to condemn the attacks, but rather to lament the heightened sense of fear and acts of blatant discrimination aimed at Muslims.

Usama described Sarsour as a Muslim jihadi who knows how to address the liberal women of America. Usama paused at this point and described the liberals as useful idiots that have been used to destroy their own country and the future of their own children. He believes that if these women knew anything about Sarsour, they wouldn't bother to attend these protests. In the end, these women are doing the work of Muslims in America.

As this program continued, Jim had Usama comment on the following:

--What should we know about Dean Obeidallah (whose name means 'slave of Allah'), a Muslim comedian and radio host who recently sent out a controversial 'Tweet' concerning President Trump.

--A prayer was offered at the National Prayer Service in Washington, D.C., by Imam Mohammed Majid who is the top leader of the Muslim Brotherhood in the U.S.

--In California, a post inauguration neighbors panel was organized by a Muslim group to address misconceptions and find common ground.

--Can you be an American and be Muslim?

--Who was Mohammed?

--The Cleveland Chapter of the Council on American/Islamic Relations (CAIR) welcomed a policy change by the Lucas County Correctional Facility permitting religious head coverings to be worn by Muslim women during bookings and incarceration in the prisons.