Yesterday, Chris Wallace interviewed Herman Cain, a candidate for the Republican nomination for President (
full transcript). A portion of the interview focused on Cain's sometimes controversial views of Muslim Americans. Here is an extensive excerpt from the interview:
WALLACE: You said this week that you oppose construction of a new mosque in Murfreesboro, Tennessee..... What's your objection to their building a new mosque?
CAIN: One of my guiding principles, Chris, is that if you want to know the solution to the problem or if you want to understand the problem, go to source closest to the problem. I talk to the people in that community.
And here's their problem and I sympathized with them. Our Constitution guarantees separation of church and state. Islam combines church and state. They are using the church part of our First Amendment to infuse their mosque in that community and the people in the community do not like it, they disagree with it.
Sharia law is what they are to infuse in to our --
WALLACE: Wait a minute. Are you saying that we should ban Muslims from worshiping in this country?
CAIN: I'm not saying that. What I'm saying is American laws in American courts. That's what the people of Murfreesboro are saying.... Well, Chris, I happen to also know that it's not just about a religious mosque. There are other things going on based upon talking to the people closest to the problem. It's not a mosque for religious purposes. This is what the people are objecting to....
WALLACE: ... [M]y question, I guess is, this isn't Ground Zero in New York City. It's not hallowed ground. Don't Americans have a right of whatever religion under the Constitution, which you speak so much about, to free speech and freedom to worship.
CAIN: To the people in Murfreesboro, it is hallowed ground. They are objecting to the intentions of trying to get Sharia law....
WALLACE: But couldn't any community then say we don't want a mosque in our community?
CAIN: ... [L]et'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 of set of laws, Sharia law. That's the difference between any one of our other traditional religions where it's just about religious purposes.
The people in the community know best. And I happen to side with the people in the community.
WALLACE: So, you're saying that any community, if they want to ban a mosque.
CAIN: 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: ... This gets back to an early controversy where ... you said that you're not comfortable with the idea of appointing a Muslim for your cabinet. As someone who I'm sure who faced prejudice growing up ... in the '50s, '60s, how do you respond to those who say you are doing the same thing?
CAIN: I tell them that that's absolutely not true, because it is absolutely totally different. I grew up, like you said, in the '50s and the '60s. I grew up before civilian rights movement, during the civil rights movement and after the civil rights movement.... We had some laws that were restricting people because of their color and because of their color only. That's what that situation was.
WALLACE: But aren't you willing to restrict people because of their religion?
CAIN: 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 tree to worship. I have no problem with that.
If you at my career, 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.
