Is Herman Cain anti-Muslim?

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Is Herman Cain anti-Muslim?

By Michaela L. Duckett – July 18, 2011

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Good morning! It’s Monday. For most of us that means back to work. The weatherman says today we can expect sunny skies with a high of 89°.

Did you know that on this day in 1918 one of the most influential leaders of our time was born in a South African village? During his lifetime, this man has received hundreds of awards, including the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize. He also spent 27 years as a political prisoner after being arrested in 1962 and charged with treason. What is his name? Click here for the answer.

Here’s what’s brewing in the news:

Cain says communities have a right to ban mosques

Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain supports those who push back against Islamic mosques being built in their communities and does not believe his view is a form of religious discrimination.

Using the protests and legal challenges to a planned mosque in Murfreesboro, Tennessee as an example, Cain said the issue is much bigger than a difference of religion.

"I happen to also know that it's not just about a religious mosque," he said in an appearance on Fox News Sunday. "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."

Cain said the fundamental issue is not so much about Islam as a religion as it is about Islam as a law, and he believes that Muslims are trying to inject that law into the United States. “Islam is both religion and (a) set of laws, Shariah law. That's the difference between any one of our other traditional religions where it's just about religious purposes.”

He added, "The people in the community know best. And I happen to side with the people in the community."

This is not the first time Cain has stirred controversy. He previously said that he would not want a Muslim bent on killing Americans in his administration.

Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations, denounced Cain's comments as "unconstitutional and un-American."

In an interview with the Boston Herald, Hooper said: “Each time you have someone who is regarded as a mainstream political leader expressing these kind of hate-filled views, it just fans the flames of anti-Muslim bigotry nationwide,"

He added that Cain should be more sensitive to these issues considering his race. “It gives legitimacy to intolerance and hatred,” he said. “He, of all people, should realize this, being African-American."

QUESTION: Do you agree with Herman Cain that Americans should have the right to ban Muslim mosques from being built in their communities? Would you try to prevent one from being built in your community or do you believe this is a form a religious discrimination?
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