Posted on 06/21/2005 3:07:49 PM PDT by BMC1
An Islamic civil rights and advocacy group is calling on North Carolina judges to allow people to use the Koran when taking an oath, saying the use of the Bible exclusively represents "an inappropriate state endorsement of religion."
The request by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) comes after Guilford County judges said they would not allow use of Korans in their courtrooms.
"An oath of the Quran is not a lawful oath under our law," said W. Douglas Albright, Guilford's senior resident Superior Court judge. According to state law, swearing an oath constitutes putting one's hand on the "Holy Scriptures."
Those who do not wish to take an oath using the Bible may make an "affirmation."
"By stating that only one book qualifies as 'Holy Scriptures,' the court may be making an inappropriate endorsement of a single set of religious beliefs," said CAIR Legal Director Arsalan Iftikhar.
"Eliminating the opportunity to swear an oath on one's own holy text may also have the effect of diminishing the credibility of that person's testimony," Iftikhar added.
North Carolina's Administrative Office of the Courts last week issued a preliminary opinion saying that state law allows people to be sworn in using a Koran rather than a Bible, CAIR noted.
According to Iftikhar, CAIR will offer a free copy of the Koran to any judge in North Carolina or nationwide for use in oaths or "for personal awareness of the holy text."
Because some Freepers are afraid that letting a Muslim swear on a Koran will lead to the downfall of America.
Bring your own book and swear on whatever you want, is my feeling. You're still liable for perjury, no matter what.
You gotta be kidding me. Any elected official who swears upon a Koran should be impeached and imprisoned the very next nansecond.
Many of you guys are crazy. Letting Muslims into America is a presciption for endless war. Look at the Middle East for G--'s sake.
If America ceases to be a Judeo-Christian nation, you can to the Bill of Rights in the trash cause it is incompatable with Islam and the Koran.
Just my humble opinion..........
Those that would lie, will lie. Those that would tell the truth, will do so. No book will change this.
Why? Presumably, the people who elected him knew he was a Muslim, so why should it be a problem that he swears on a Koran when he takes office?
"And what about atheists?"
Good budy of mine is an ex-marine, conservative, patriotic, professor of history and an atheist. His suggestion (for him) would be to swear on the Constitution. A document he knows loves and worships (as much as he worships anything).
Oh and he would gut me like a hog if he knew I called him and EX-marine. What the heck do you call Marines who are no longer in the service?
I think we should make them swear on a stick of TNT, then
place it under the witness chair as an added incentive.
There are some religious sects (J witnesses come to mind) that don't allow swearing oaths of any kind. Some Orthodox Jews will also not swear in a court of law. It has nothing to do with what scriptures are being used, swearing in a secular court is considered by some as taking G-D's name in vain.
Courts have admitted witnesses by "affirmation" saying "Do you affirm to tell the truth?" leaving out "so help you G-D." I believe that in the 18th century this form of testimony was called a "Quaker oath."
Marines.
Ah, scuze mem but that dirty book contains an explicit permission to lie to non-believers, so any oath taken on it would be pointless.
Deserves repeating.
It's not the swearing on the Bible (or any other religious text) that requires one to be truthful, and in Georgia witnesses don't swear on a Bible at all. It's the law of the land that requires them to be truthful ... ie. perjury.
I don't know; once a Marine, always a Marine I thought.
What book should Satanists use?
Good! I'll take my academy award now.
Thank you very much.
Don't know. Ask them.
Hey Andy. (I don't mean to sound like Gomer or Goober.)
My indifference turned to many things as well. As to whether the judges can decide whether to honor an establishment of religion (Bible but none others), I think the 1st Amendment is very clear on that.
baby steps..baby steps...
eventually youll have to swear by the Koran
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