First Muslim Congressman to be Sworn in on Koran

Keith Ellison is one of the newest members of Congress, and will also be the first Muslim to serve in that body. He hasn’t been sworn in, yet already he is causing controversy. As the result of his Islamic background, Ellison has opted to be sworn in to Congress using the Koran, or Islam’s bible, rather than the Christian Bible, which is used by nearly every other congressmen.

Apparently this minor gesture has riled several conservative commentators, most notably Dennis Prager, a columnist and talk radio show host. In a controversial article on Townhall.com, Prager argues, “He [Keith Ellison] should not be allowed to do so [be sworn in on the Koran]…because the act undermines American civilization.” He goes on to say that, “…America is interested in only one book, the Bible” and even ends his article by saying that if Keith Ellison is allowed to be sworn in on the Koran, he will “…be doing more damage to the unity of America…than the terrorists of 9-11.”

Prager’s shocking comments are not only out of line but completely ill-advised. He seems to lack an understanding of basic American ideals and appears to be driven more by a disdain for Islam and the Koran than any logical or acceptable philosophical argument. In the true spirit of America, Keith Ellison should not only be allowed to be sworn in on the Bible, but should do so proudly as he continues a long American heritage of religious freedom and tolerance.

Prager’s contentions seem to be based upon the presumption that America is not only a Christian nation now, but was founded on Christian ideals. The mere fact that most Americans are Christian does not make America itself Christian. The majority of Americans are also white, but we do not say that America itself is a white nation. In reality, America was not founded on Christian ideals either, but on the philosophical products of the Enlightenment. John Locke and Jean-Jacque Rousseau influenced the establishment of America more than Jesus and St. Peter.

We can not ignore the fact that the Founders believed in unalienable rights “endowed by their Creator”, but we also can not take this statement and similar ones to extremes, and believe that the Founder’s philosophical and political inspiration was Christian in nature. The idea of rights to life, liberty and property did not come from some letter that Paul wrote to the Corinthians, but rather from the mind of John Locke.

Prager’s second idea regarding American unity is so radically ridiculous that it borders on the laughable. Massive tragedies like9-11 act as unifying forces. People are drawn together out of patriotism and a common idea of fraternity. 9-11 did not damage America’s unity. In fact, it did more to unify America than any event since Pearl Harbor. After 9-11, every house had an American flag on it, and the entire country wanted to strike back at Al Qaeda. The fact is that President Bush’s controversial tactics for fighting terrorism and questionable rationale for war have served as the greatest harbinger of disunity for America. Ellison’s swearing in will do nothing to affect this unity.

Dennis Prager writes, “If you are incapable of taking an oath on that book [the Bible], don’t serve in Congress.” Apparently he feels it is necessary to put our elected officials under a religious test in order for them to serve in office. Unfortunately the American people do not elect Bishops of the Church, in which case it would make perfect sense to put them under a religious test. Instead, we elect public officials who represent all of their constituents, not just small homogenous parts. Interestingly, this concept is in direct violation of the Constitution, of which Article Six reads, “…no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.”

Keith Ellison should take his oath of office on the Koran, and all of us should be proud when he does. To force a person to swear an oath on a religious text that they do not believe in is un-American. When this country’s earliest settlers began the creation of a new nation, they did not do so as Puritans, but as the victims of religious discrimination under a tyrannical King of England. Ellison’s swearing in is merely another step in America’s expanding and progressive religious tolerance.