Herman Cain got in touch with his inner bigot today while talking to reporters following a campaign rally in Murfreesboro Tennessee. Cain lashed out at a planned Mosque in Murfreesboro making the absurd claim that the Mosque would open the door to Shariah law being imposed in Tennessee.
From Politico:
Herman Cain: Tennessee mosque could spread Sharia
By ALEXANDER BURNS
Taking a page from the summer of 2010's playbook, Herman Cain pays a visit to Murfreesboro and attacks plans for an Islamic center there:
Cain didn't bring up the controversial facility in a campaign rally on Thursday, but told reporters afterward that he's concerned about the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro.
"It is an infringement and an abuse of our freedom of religion," he said. "And I don't agree with what's happening, because this isn't an innocent mosque."
"It is another example of why I believe in American laws and American courts," Cain said. "This is just another way to try to gradually sneak Shariah law into our laws, and I absolutely object to that."
The new mosque has been the subject of protests ...Opponents have used the hearings to argue that the mosque is part of a plot to expand Islamic extremism in the U.S. Cain appeared to agree.
Here's some background on the Murfreesboro mosque from Justin Elliott at Salon
Herman Cain: Tear down this mosque!
The project has been the center of intense controversy since last year. The construction site has been the subject of vandalism and arson. Opponents, including an extremist Christian Zionist group, also unsuccessfully tried to stop construction of the mosque through litigation.
Last year, in response to the opponents' lawsuit, the Department of Justice even filed an amicus brief arguing that, contra the opponents' claims, Islam is a religion, and that to deny construction permits to the mosque would violate basic principles of freedom of religion. So it's ironic that Cain is arguing that the builders of the mosque -- not the opponents -- are infringing freedom of religion.
Even the Anti-Defamation League, which notoriously came out against Park51 (the "ground zero mosqu has said that there is no reason the Murfreesboro project should not be built.
Adam Serwer writes about Cain at the WaPo:
Herman Cain winning the anti-Muslim primary hands down
Of course, the reason why Cain keeps getting asked about his anti-Muslim views is that no other 2012 GOPer has matched his extensive use of anti-Muslim rhetoric to win over the Islamophobic wing of the Republican base. Cain may not be doing too well in the polls, but if there’s an anti-Muslim primary underway, he is the clear frontrunner. With people like Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum in the race, that’s no small achievement, although I’m not sure it’s one to be proud of.
Cain has said he would be reluctant to include a Muslim in a Cabinet if he were to be elected President. This goes a lot further suggesting the constructing a Mosque is a step toward imposing Shariah law in Tennessee. Suggesting that the Murfreesboro mosque "isn't an innocent mosque" smacks of religious intolerance and blatant bigotry.
This sectarian hatred is what Cain wants to bring to the White House.
The campaign of hate directed at the the Murfreesboro mosque has already resulted in violence and threats of violence.
Fire at Tenn. Mosque Building Site Ruled Arson
Shots fired near Murfreesboro mosque site
Americans who fled Europe's religious intolerance to start this country would recognize the kind of religious bigotry Herman Cain espouses. Yet Cain claims he is being faithful to this country's founding principals . He most certainly is not.
Update: Due to a rash of short nonsense diaries going up in a short period of time I am choosing to republish this diary two and a quarter hours after it was originally published.