Herman Cain: Mosques Can Be Banned

GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain believes that U.S. communities have the authority to ban mosques, reports Politico and other media outlets.  The former Godfather's Pizza CEO made the comments on "FOX News Sunday."  His belief, of course, flies in the face of the U.S. Constitution and should be condemned in the strongest terms by the GOP and their 2012 field running for the presidency.  From Politico:  

Herman Cain says voters across the country should have the right to prevent Muslims from building mosques in their communities.

In an exchange on "Fox News Sunday," the Republican presidential contender said that he sided with some in a town near Nashville who were trying to prevent Muslims from worshiping in their community.

"Our Constitution guarantees the separation of church and state," he said. "Islam combines church and state. They're using the church part of our First Amendment to infuse their morals in that community, and the people of that community do not like it. They disagree with it."

Asked by host Chris Wallace if any community could ban a mosque if it wanted to, Cain said: "They have a right to do that."

Cain, a Tea Party favorite, has said in the past that he would not appoint Muslims to serve in his cabinet if elected.

Faithful America has offered before three basic facts about Islam that Cain would do himself well to become familiar with:

1. Muslim Americans reject terrorism and extremism. 
All major branches of Islam agree that terrorism and violence against innocent people can never be justified. Muslims have wholly and consistently condemned terrorist attacks in all forms. Those who say otherwise just aren’t listening. 1

2. Muslim Americans are key partners with law enforcement 
Muslim Americans are just as concerned about the safety of our country as the rest of us, and they are strong allies in the fight against terror. In fact, Muslim Americans have helped foil a significant number of terrorist plots since 9/11. Remember that it was a Muslim street vendor who alerted police to a bombing attempt in Times Square. 2

3. Muslim Americans value religious freedom 
Muslims are members of the American family and hold the same American values of religious freedom, respect and cooperation as other faith groups. Muslims in America are teachers, doctors, lawyers, members of our armed forces, and countless other important contributors to our society. It’s time to stop focusing on divisive stereotypes that weaken us as a society and work together to move the country we share forward. Learning the truth about our neighbors is the first step to building a stronger community.

Sources:

1. http://thinkprogress.org/2011/03/09/king-muslims-plots-terrorists/

2. http://www.mpac.org/programs/anti-terrorism-campaign.php

3. http://sanford.duke.edu/centers/tcths/about/news_release20110202.php

All Americans should reject the bigotry offered up by Cain and other politicians who use faith to divide the American people.

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