WASHINGTON, 9 December 2005 — Here in the United States, witnesses taking the stand in a court of law traditionally are asked to swear to tell the truth — by placing their right hand on the Bible. So when Muslims in Guilford County, North Carolina, tried to donate copies of the Qur’an for courtroom use, Chief District Court Judge Joseph Turner rejected the proposal. Taking an oath on the Qur’an is not allowed by North Carolina state law, he said, which specifies that witnesses shall place their hands on the “Holy Scriptures,” which he interprets as the Christian Bible. “We’ve...