Newt Gingrich advocates deporting US Muslims who believe in Sharia law

Former U.S. Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich is proposing a ban on Muslims that goes far beyond what Donald Trump has proposed.

Gingrich,who was at the time of the comments still nominally a contender to be Trump's running mate, suggested for monitoring of American mosques and testing every citizen of Muslim descent in the U.S. on whether they believe in Sharia law – and deporting them if they do – in the aftermath of the terror attacks in France that killed at least 84 people.

"Let me be as blunt and direct as I can be: Western civilization is in a war. We should frankly test every person here who is of a Muslim background, and if they believe in Sharia, they should be deported," Gingrich said in an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity. "Sharia is incompatible with Western civilization. Modern Muslims who have given up Sharia, (we're) glad to have them as citizens. (We're) perfectly happy to have them next door."

The remarks came hours after news broke that a truck fatally plowed through scores of people celebrating Bastille Day in Nice, France.

Gingrich said U.S. Muslims should be questioned about their loyalties and that their internet activity should also be monitored.

The former Georgia lawmaker went a step further, saying that mosques should be monitored.

He also called the idea that Islam is a peaceful religion "baloney."

Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee has advocated a temporary halt on Muslim immigration, a call that he repeated  Thursday evening, but not a test to deport Muslims who are already legally in the U.S.

His critics were already poking holes in his Sharia argument.

Gingrich offered a coda.

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