But It's Thomas Jefferson's Koran!

The Washington Post ^ | 1/3/07 | Amy Artsinger and Roxanne Roberts

[mngran]

Rep.-elect Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress, found himself under attack last month when he announced he'd take his oath of office on the Koran -- especially from Virginia Rep. Virgil Goode, who called it a threat to American values.

Yet the holy book at tomorrow's ceremony has an unassailably all-American provenance. We've learned that the new congressman -- in a savvy bit of political symbolism -- will hold the personal copy once owned by Thomas Jefferson.

[mngran]

Pretty sneaky...but credit where credit is due: Goode represents the district where Jefferson lived.

[ClearCase_guy]

I believe the koran says that a Muslim can freely lie to non-Muslims, so taking an oath on it is complete joke.

[RexBeach]

I have Thomas Jefferson's muffler on my car!

[darkwing104]

Any oath a Muslim swears to a national entity regardless of the means is still useless.

[frogjerk]

I believe the koran says that a Muslim can freely lie to non-Muslims, so taking an oath on it is complete joke.

I believe you are correct. There is no underlying premise of absolute truth in the koran, so swearing upon it is like swearing on the NY Times OP Ed page.

[samtheman]

then use the Koran in his individual, ceremonial oath with new Speaker Nancy Pelosi

Is this going to be Oral Oath with Nancy?

[L98Fiero]

I tapped one of his great, great, great, great, great, great, grandaughters in college.

[rbmillerjr]

Does anybody have any history on Jefferson's comments about Islam or the Koran. Him simply owning it speaks to his intellectual curiosity.

[Tanniker Smith]

I believe the koran says that a Muslim can freely lie to non-Muslims, so taking an oath on it is complete joke.

On the other hand, isn't swearing on a Bible totally meaningless to this guy?

[RexBeach]

LOL!!!!!

I wonder who has his cell phone?

[Borges]

Islam was 'in the news' back then in terms of the Barbary Pirates and the Treaty of Triopli.

[rhombus]

Clinton swore an oath on a Bible. Clearly the book makes no difference... it's the character of the politician that counts.

[rbmillerjr]

Found this nugget re: the Barbary coast...READ CAREFULLY AT THE BOTTOM AS THE KORAN IS CREDITED WITH GIVING AUTHORITY FOR PIRACY LOL...

From AMERICAN SPHINX The Character of Thomas Jefferson by Joseph J. Ellis

"Several muslim countries along the North African coast had established the tradition of plundering the ships of European and American merchants in the western Mediterranean and eastern Atlantic, capturing the crews and then demanding ransom from the respective governments for their release. In a joint message to their superiors in Congress, Adams and Jefferson described the audacity of these terrorist attacks, pirates leaping onto defenseless ships with daggers clenched in their teeth. They had asked the ambassador from Tripoli, Adams and Jefferson explained, on what grounds these outrageous acts of unbridled savagery could be justified: "The Ambassador answered us that it was founded on the laws of the prophet, that it was written in their koran, that all nations who should not have acknowledged their [islams] authority were sinners, that it was their right and duty to make war upon them wherever they could be found, and to make slaves of all they could take as prisoners...."

This event occured between 1784-1789 while Jefferson was ambassador to France and Adams (2nd president) was ambassador to England.

[RightCenter]

Here's some information about it here:

http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/early_american_literature/v039/39.2hayes.pdf

[Dixie Yooper]

Back when this story first broke, Jamie Dupree with Newsweek said on Neal Boortz that the House Members are sworn in as a group with their right hands raised. If they later want a photo op with the Speaker of the House, they can put their left hand on a any book they want. I don't think the new speaker is going to object to any book.

[Jo Nuvark]

OK... so I have a copy of "Mein Kampf" (in my library). That doesn't mean I believe in it.

[D-Chivas]

Is this the copy that Thomas Jefferson tried to flush down the toilet in Guantanamo?

[L98Fiero]

I think George Costanza has his old Chrystler LeBaron. :)

[msnimje]

Well, if Thomas Jefferson owned one than THAT makes it okay to kill and or subjegate all who do not believe in its evil teachings.