Herman Cain said he sides with those opposing the construction of a mosque in Tennessee because he fears the Muslims building the mosque have bad intentions and want to implement Sharia law.

“Our constitution guarantees separation of church and state,” said Cain, a contender for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination. “Islam combines church and state. They are using the church part of our First Amendment to infuse their mosque in the community and people in the community don’t like it. They disagree with it. Sharia law is what they are trying to infuse.”

The former Godfather’s Pizza CEO made the comments while on Fox News Sunday. Residents in Murfreesboro have been protesting the building of the worship center planned by the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro. Cain says he has the residents’ back.

Moderator Chris Wallace asked Cain if his skepticism of Muslims in the country is similar to the prejudice he faced growing up as a black man.

“I tell them that is absolutely not true,” Cain said. “Because it’s absolutely totally different … I am willing to take a harder look at people that might be terrorists. That’s what I’m saying.”

He added: “I know that there is a peaceful group of Muslims in this country.” (Herman Cain signs up for Sunday morning grilling)

Wallace asked him if it’s okay for any community to say we don’t want a mosque in our community.

“They could say that … 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 a religion and a set of laws, Sharia law,” Cain said.

“That is 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.”