Christian radio host Jan Markell hosted conservative activist Nonie Darwish, who advanced claim that Obama is a "political Muslim"

On the September 16 broadcast of her syndicated Christian radio talk show, Understanding the Times, Jan Markell hosted "former Muslim" Nonie Darwish, who claimed that "whether he believes in Islam or not," Sen. Barack Obama is a "political Muslim" who, as a child, was "immersed in a culture that was anti-American." Darwish is the author of the book, Now They Call Me Infidel: Why I Renounced Jihad for America, Israel, and the War on Terror (Sentinel, November 2006).

During the broadcast, Markell asked Darwish, "Do you feel he [Obama] has strong ties to the Islamic world?" Darwish replied, "[F]rom what we hear, Obama was immersed -- whether he believes in Islam or not -- but he got immersed in a culture that was anti-American as a child." Darwish went on to say, "Whether he calls himself a Muslim or not, it -- he [sic] doesn't matter. There are many Muslims who are political Muslims that I know."

Later, Darwish said, "I believe that Obama is a political Muslim," and stated that "Obama was influenced by" Islam, "a very political religion." When Markell responded, "OK, but he's -- we've got to clarify that that does not mean he's practicing," Darwish replied: "He's not a Muslim, but he -- he's -- the way he expresses himself politically -- the one thing to take care of everybody through the government, this is an Islamic concept, because, in Islam, you want to dominate every aspect of a person's life through the government." Darwish also said Islam is "not a true religion," and that "inside Islam, it's a rotten religion."

Darwish appeared on Fox News and CNN in 2006 to promote the documentary, Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West. According to the Huffington Post, on September 7, 145,000 DVDs of Obsession were bundled as an advertising supplement in The New York Times' newspapers sent to markets in swing states, and "also came with national publications like the Chronicle of Higher Education, the Wall Street Journal and the Jewish World Digest." The documentary reportedly "showcases scenes of Muslim children being encouraged to become suicide bombers, interspersed with shots of Nazi rallies" and lists New York-based group the Clarion Fund as its distributor on the advertisements.

The founder of Olive Tree Ministries in Maple Grove, Minnesota, Markell is a self-described Messianic Jew who converted from Judaism to Christianity as a young girl. Markell's radio show, Understanding the Times, is syndicated nationwide by Salem Radio Network, a Christian-themed broadcast company "serving more than 1500 radio stations."

From the September 16 broadcast of Salem Radio Network's Understanding the Times:

MARKELL: Do you feel he has strong ties to the Islamic world?

DARWISH: Yes. Well, it started home. His mother, I think, was a little bit of a radical.

MARKELL: Yes, she was. Hmm-mm.

DARWISH: So, who -- in those days, those radicals really were anti-American -- they had anti-American sentiment. So, she was a young girl, 17, 18, who had a baby with a man, who had wives in Kenya, from Kenya -- he's a student here. She had a baby with him, and then when it didn't work out, he went back to Kenya with his wives, and then she married another Muslim man from Indonesia, so, you can -- and then Obama lived in Indonesia in an Islamic school, with his own admission.

MARKELL: Hmm-mm. Right, he admits that.

DARWISH: Yeah, so, from what we hear, Obama was immersed -- whether he believes in Islam or not -- but he got immersed in a culture that was anti-American as a child. And when -- even with -- when he came to America, he picked a church that was totally anti-American church. He went with his feelings, and he called that pastor his uncle.

MARKELL: Yeah.

DARWISH: So, what does that mean? He --

MARKELL: Well, I think it means that he was influenced heavily, as a --

DARWISH: -- by Islam.

MARKELL: Yeah.

DARWISH: Absolutely. Whether he calls himself a Muslim or not, it -- he doesn't matter. There are many Muslims who are political Muslims that I know.

MARKELL: Well, I -- you have to define the term, though, "political Muslim."

DARWISH: Yes. Islam is a very political religion. It wants to dominate people from the -- there is no separation of church and state under Islamic law. And it is an expansionist religion because if it doesn't expand, it will implode. It will destroy itself because it's not a true religion.

So, it's always in a race to expand, otherwise it will destroy itself. And that's why they're always looking for new lands, new people to convince that they are right -- because inside Islam, it's a rotten religion. Internally, it doesn't produce a balanced society. It doesn't produce a society that is a happy society. And Obama was influenced by all of that. He -- I believe that Obama is a political Muslim.

MARKELL: OK, but he's -- we've got to clarify that that does not mean he's practicing.

DARWISH: He's not a Muslim --

MARKELL: No.

DARWISH: -- but he -- he's -- the way he expresses himself politically -- the one thing to take care of everybody through the government, this is an Islamic concept, because, in Islam, you want to dominate every aspect of a person's life through the government.