GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain steps way out in an interview with Fox News, saying communities across the country have a right to ban the construction of mosques.
Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com
Here’s a key exchange (bold is mine):
WALLACE: But couldn’t any community then say we don’t want a mosque in our community?
CAIN: They could say that.
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 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.
Not really sure what to make of his reasoning given that other major religions, say Judaism and Catholicism, certainly boast a well-developed body of laws.
In other Herman Cain news… the candidate told The Washington Times he would let Iran know that "if you mess with Israel, you’re messing with the United States of America." According to Cain, an Iranian attack against Israel would be met with a U.S. response. As for a preemptive attack against the Iranian nuclear program, the candidate was less definitive:
Asked if he agreed with former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton’s contention that the “only realistic alternative … is to use force preemptively against Iran’s nuclear weapons program” since diplomacy has failed, Mr. Cain said he did, with one caveat.
“There would be some other pieces of information I would need before I gave that order, but I’m saying that would be Option B,” Mr. Cain said during an interview with editors and reporters at The Washington Times.
“Option A is, ‘Folks, we are not going to allow you to attack Israel‘ … If they call my bluff, they already know — they will know — what Option B is.”
