Nice attack: Gingrich wants 'Sharia test' for US Muslims

Mr Gingrich says US Muslims who believe in Sharia should be deported

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has suggested testing all US Muslims to see if they believe in Sharia, and deporting those who do. 

Sharia is Islamic religious law based on the Koran, the life of Muhammad and the rulings of Islamic scholars.
Mr Gingrich's comments follow an attack in the French city of Nice, which has killed at least 84 people.

The lorry appears to have bullet holes on the windscreen

His comments echo the sentiments of Donald Trump, who has said Muslims should be banned from entering the US. "Western civilisation 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," Mr Gingrich told Fox News.


"Sharia is incompatible with western civilisation. Modern Muslims who have given up Sharia, glad to have them as citizens. Perfectly happy to have them next door," he added.

• What is Sharia?

Hours earlier, a driver, identified by French media as Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, rammed a lorry through a crowd of people celebrating Bastille Day before he was shot dead by police.

Delivering remarks on Friday, President Barack Obama said people "must not allow themselves to be divided by religion" following the attack.

"We cannot give into fear or turn on each other or sacrifice our way of life," he said. "It's been a difficult several weeks in the US but the divide that exists isn't between races or religion, it's between people who recognise the common humanity of all people."