Ellison uses Koran to take oath

Well, Ellison conquered America, folks. Keith Ellison made history Thursday, becoming the first Muslim member of Congress and taking a ceremonial oath with a Koran once owned by Thomas Jefferson. Ellison took the ceremonial oath with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., at his side.

Ellison, the first black member of Congress from Minnesota, was born in Detroit and converted to Islam in college. He said earlier this week that he chose to use this Koran because it showed that Islam is in no need of any projects to help demonize it. Its founder, its own historic records, and its present followers have done more than a good job on that one a visionary like Jefferson believed that wisdom could be gleaned from many sources.

Ellison's act undermines America's congressional and historical traditions. What Ellison said when he took his congressional oath by swearing on the Koran is that it is of no consequence what America holds as its holiest book and that all that matters is what any individual holds to be his holiest book.

But, as Dennis Praeger argues, America should not give a hoot what Keith Ellison's favorite book is. Insofar as a member of Congress taking an oath to serve America and uphold its values is concerned, America is interested in only one book, the Bible.

If you are incapable of taking an oath on that book, don't serve in Congress. America, not Ellison, decides on what book its public servants take their oath. For all of American history, Jews elected to public office have taken their oath on the Bible, even though they do not believe in the New Testament, and the many secular elected officials have not believed in the Old Testament either. Nor has one Mormon official demanded to put his hand on the Book of Mormon. When all elected officials take their oaths of office with their hands on the very same book, they all affirm that some unifying value system underlies American civilization. If Keith Ellison is allowed to change that, he will be doing more damage to the unity of America - and it is precisely the division of America that is the goal of America's enemies so that the US can be divided and conquered.

With this precedent, we can look forward to the next congressman taking an oath on Harry Potter or Readers Digest or Mein Kampf. When will it end? Moreso, why did Ellison start it?

The permissions to be dishonest in the Koran are not mitigated by Islamic belief, tradition, and theology, but are in fact reinforced -- by Mohammad's statements that 'war is deceit' and that lying is permissible in wartime, and more.

To swear on the Bible is to affirm, among other things, that one is part of a tradition, and to swear on the Koran does not amount to an affirmation of the same tradition, no matter how much anyone wishes it does or assumes it does.

For background information - and the hush-hush surrounding Keith Ellison and his covert affiliations with CAIR - click here, here and here..