WASHINGTON (ABP) — The first Muslim member of Congress, responding to critics who said his plan to swear an oath of office on the Quran is anti-American, decided to use about the most patriotic copy of the Muslim holy book he could find.
Incoming Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) planned to place his hand on Thomas Jefferson's Quran in his unofficial oath of office Jan. 4.
The oath was unofficial because senators and representatives are sworn in en masse at the beginning of each new Congress in each chamber, with no holy texts in sight. However, most members repeat the ceremony later, symbolically swearing their oath of office with their hand on a holy book.
Historically, that has been a book sacred to the member — with Protestants holding a Protestant translation of the Bible, Catholics and Greek Orthodox Christians holding their different versions of the Christian Scriptures, Jews often holding the Torah or other compilations of the Hebrew Bible, and Mormons sometimes holding a copy of the Book of Mormon, which the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints considers a sort of third testament of the Bible.
Ellison is the first Muslim elected to Congress. His decision inspired some criticism in conservative circles, with radio host Dennis Prager saying in a Townhall.com column that Ellison “should not be allowed to do so” because swearing on anything but the Bible “undermines American civilization.”
Ellison's decision inspired more controversy in late December, when Rep. Virgil Goode (R-Va.) said in a note to constituents that he feared the sight of congressmen swearing on the Quran would only become more common unless Muslim immigration into the United States is curbed.
“I do not subscribe to using the Koran in any way,” wrote Goode, a Baptist. “The Muslim representative from Minnesota was elected by the voters of that district, and if American citizens don't wake up and adopt the Virgil Goode position on immigration, there will likely be many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of the Koran.
“I fear that in the next century we will have many more Muslims in the United States if we do not adopt the strict immigration policies that I believe are necessary to preserve the values and beliefs traditional to the United States of America and to prevent our resources from being swamped.”
Several civil-rights groups and some of Goode's colleagues criticized his letter, noting that Ellison is a U.S. native and a convert to Islam, not a Muslim immigrant.
Ironically, Goode represents the district in which Thomas Jefferson was born and in which he built his famous plantation home, Monticello. Charlottesville and the University of Virginia — founded by Jefferson — also lie in the district.
Ellison is borrowing the historic Quran — an English translation that reportedly dates to the 1750s — from the Library of Congress. The institution has supplied historic holy texts for other swearing-in ceremonies. The Quran is among the books the well-read Founding Father donated from his personal library to re-start the Library of Congress after its original collection was destroyed in the War of 1812.
Asked about Goode's comments, Ellison reportedly said he'd be looking forward to meeting the Virginia congressman. He did just that, shortly after his arrival on the House floor Jan. 4, when television cameras caught him and Goode being introduced to each other by colleagues.
Goode, through his press secretary, Linwood Duncan, said Jan. 4 that he had simply welcomed Ellison to Congress. “I congratulated Mr. Ellison on his election victory. I look forward to looking with all new members of the House of Representatives,” he said.
A staffer who answered the phone in Ellison's office mid-afternoon Jan. 4 said he did not know at that time what the two congressmen had said to each other when they met.
Goode's Virginia colleague, Democratic Rep. Jim Moran, introduced the two. He said late on the afternoon of Jan. 4 that the two simply had “a pleasant exchange.”
“I was talking to Keith Ellison about it, and he was saying that he wanted to extend the hand of friendship to Virgil, so I said I would go get Virgil,” Moran, who has served in Congress with Goode for 10 years, said.
“Keith just said, 'Hi, I'm Keith Ellison.' And Virgil just said, 'Hi.' And Keith said, you know, 'Let's be friends and talk,' and Virgil said. 'That's just fine,'” Moran said.
He continued: “It was an unfortunate incident and I trust that Virgil understands that he was acting in a way that did not reflect the majority sentiment of the Congress or the country.”
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