Herman Cain: Banning Mosques Doesn't Dis Against Muslims

[John317]

Herman Cain: Banning Mosques Is ‘Not Discriminating’ Against Muslims

July 20, 2011 by Marcy Bonebright

On Sunday, Herman Cain continued his hard line against Muslims, saying that communities “have the right” to ban mosques, which would not be “discriminating based upon (Muslims’) religion.”

Herman Cain, a businessman seeking the Republican nod in the 2012 Presidential race, spoke out against a planned mosque Sunday. The CEO-turned-candidate said communities “have the right” to ban mosques, and to do so would not be “discriminating based upon (Muslims’) religion.”

In an interview with Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday, Cain spoke about the planned construction of a mosque in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Critics have said the group building the mosque is trying to impose Sharia law in the United States.

“Chris, let’s go back to the fundamental issue that the people are basically saying that they are objecting to. They are objecting to the fact that Islam is both religion and (a) set of laws, Sharia law. That’s the difference between any one of our other traditional religions where it’s just about religious purposes,” Cain said in the interview.

When Wallace asked Cain whether a community could ban a mosque, Cain said: “Yes, they have the right to do that. That’s not discriminating based upon religion — against that particular religion. There is an aspect of them building that mosque that doesn’t get talked about. And the people in the community know what is it and they are talking about it.”

Wallace later asked whether Cain, as someone who had faced racial prejudice, was being discriminatory in being “willing to restrict people because of their religion.”

“I’m willing to take a harder look at people that might be terrorists. That’s what I’m saying. Look, I know that that there’s a peaceful group of Muslims in this country. God bless them and they are (free) to worship. I have no problem with that,” Cain said. “I have never discriminated against anybody because of their religion, their sex, or origin, or anything like that. I’m simply saying I owe it to the American people to be cautious because terrorists are trying to kill us. And so, yes, I’m going to err on the side of caution, rather than on the side of carelessness.”

[John317]

Is Herman Cain lying or is he perhaps a very brave man willing to tell the truth that others either can't say or aren't willing to say?

[bonnie]

Is Herman Cain lying or is he perhaps a very brave man willing to tell the truth that others either can't say or aren't willing to say?

I don't think he is lying

[John317]

He actually comes across as a no-nonsense, very open and honest man, someone you could trust to tell you the truth even if you might not like it. He's someone that doesn't take polls to find out what he should say. IOW, not a typical politician, not moved by political expediencey or political correctness.

[lazarus]

He's also very wrong in a factual sense. Is not Christianity a religion and a set of laws? Cain's statement about the nature of Islam is weird. The legacy of Christianity across the world is the imposition of the culture and practices of Christianity on native people. I guess the mistake that native leaders made was to welcome Christians with open arms.

[abelisle]

20 July 2011

by Bridgette P. Lavictoire

The conventional wisdom behind freedom of and from religion is that, if you ban one, you can, eventually, ban all of them. Southern Baptist leader Richard Land understands this, and has lambasted Republican Presidential nominee candidate Herman Cain for the latter’s disregard for the constitutional rights of US Muslims. Land is president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission.

Last week, Cain told reporters that he believes that the plans to build the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro in Rutherford County, Tenn., is “an infringement and an abuse of our freedom of religion.” He also said that the center is “another way to gradually sneak Sharia law into our laws.”

It was also reported that:

Cain, an associate pastor at Antioch Baptist Church North and a GOP presidential hopeful, argued last week that the ICM is not an “innocent mosque” and warned of the threat of Sharia (Islamic law) to American laws. He asserted in a Sunday Fox News interview that the Murfreesboro community has the right to ban the center’s construction.

Land agrees that allowing Sharia law into the courts is unconstitutional, but he feels that this is because it violates the rights of women. No word yet if he will be pushing to change the abysmal record of the Southern Baptists when it comes to women as well. He also agreed that Sharia should not be enforced in America’s legal system or government, but no word yet if the Southern Baptists will give up trying to enforce Christian law in the US legal system.

He did say “I think the First Amendment is one of those amendments that is too important and protects rights that are too central to our guaranteed rights in this country to be left with a local option.”

According to the Christian Post:

Like Christians, Muslims have the right to have places of worship near where they live, Land said.

Additionally, Muslims and Christians have the shared right to abide by the rules of their faith as long as that faith is not imposed on the government, he argued.

Muslim women in America have a right to choose to be veiled and abide by Sharia in their marriages. Land said that he would fight to the death to protect Christians’ right to abide by biblical precepts in their marriages.

Similarly he contended, “I defend to the death of their (Muslims’) right” to marry according to their customs.

Um, yes, that last bit. Their customs include polygamy which is something that the Southern Baptists have vocally said would lead to the end of the world.

Land also said, though, “Mr. Cain of all people, as an African American, should understand that our civil rights have to be guaranteed on a federal level. I don’t think he would want to leave the civil rights of an African American to the local voters in Philadelphia and Mississippi where they buried three civil rights workers – one black, two white – under a dam after they had killed them.”

Cain, of course, doesn’t really care telling blogger Robert Stacy McCain “I don’t back down one iota from my statement.” He also maintains that he is not being discriminatory by not wanting to have a Muslim in his administration, but that he is being cautious. He claims “No, it’s not the same type of discrimination that went on in this country in the 50s and 60s.”

Cain also claimed that attorneys defending the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro opponents in court had told him that it was a fact that the Muslim Brotherhood was behind the center’s construction. It is nice to know that Cain will buy into hearsay evidence. Will he also go to war on that kind of evidence like George W. Bush will? Of course, Cain believes that those who try and claim discrimination are only trying to intimidate Americans from discussin gthe threat of Sharia in this country.

A county judge has ruled that the Islamic Center can be built despite protests. It will house a mosque, a school and a sports center.

[bonnie]

Last week, Cain told reporters that he believes that the plans to build the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro in Rutherford County, Tenn., is “an infringement and an abuse of our freedom of religion.” He also said that the center is “another way to gradually sneak Sharia law into our laws.”

[lazarus]

Cain apologies.......he's learning.

[Dr. Shane]

Islam is both religion and (a) set of laws, Sharia law. That’s the difference between any one of our other traditional religions where it’s just about religious purposes,” Cain said in the interview.

What about Catholicism? Isn't it both a religion and a political state (aka Vatican City)? Does it not have a history of violence? Would it be OK to ban Catholics from building churches in a community?

I am sure Cain will not get the nomination. I hope he is not asked to be the nominee's running mate.

[olger]

America has every right to ban Sharia Law. It is a malevolent rival to the freedom that America was founded upon.

rejoice always,

`oG

(ps. Cain is cool).

[John317]

America has every right to ban Sharia Law.

Yes, I agree.

Everybody in America, including Muslims, lives under the same Constitution.

[Tom Wetmore]

On what basis and for what purpose(s) would the US ban it? Are you referring to totally banning it? All of it?

[Dr. Shane]

I think the point is that Sharia Law should not be allowed to have any civil relevance in the US. While Muslim groups should be allowed to administrate religious discipline like excommunicating members or placing members on probation, no religious organization in the US should be granted civil authority to sentence its members to jail, prison or capital punishment.

[olger]

Yup, Shane.

`oG