Herman Cain Says Americans Should Have Right to Ban Mosques in Their Communities

GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain has made a number of controversial proclamations regarding Islam and its relation to American society. Last week, The Blaze reported on his vocal opposition to a Tennessee mosque. This revelation came following Cain's statements back in March that he would be unwilling to appoint Muslims to his cabinet.

On Sunday, the former Godfather's Pizza CEO expounded upon his Tennessee mosque comments, saying that he believes Americans should be able to ban mosques in their local communities. Politico has more:

Herman Cain says voters across the country should have the right to prevent Muslims from building mosques in their communities...

"Our Constitution guarantees the separation of church and state," he said. "Islam combines church and state. They're using the church part of our First Amendment to infuse their morals in that community, and the people of that community do not like it. They disagree with it."

While some have criticized Cain for being anti-Muslim, he claims that he is not discriminating against Islamic adherents. Cain, who grew up during America's painful civil rights era, believes that the argument over mosques differs greatly from African Americans' fight for equality. He claims that latter was comprised of laws that prohibited blacks from advancing, while the former is simply an effort to prevent Islamic law from leaking into American society. In addressing his past history, he says:

"I'm willing to take a harder look at people that might be terrorists. If you look at my career, I have never discriminated against anybody. ... I'm going to err on the side of caution."

Below, watch the dialogue between Herman Cain and host Chris Wallace: