Analysis of Congressman Keith Ellison: the Koran to Swear Oath

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In 2007, the United States of America was engaged in two of the most gruesome wars in history. Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. In the same year, the one hundred tenth United States Congress initiated the meeting of the legislative branch of the United States. In 2007, the house received its first Muslim congressman, Keith Ellison, and its first Buddhist congress members, Hank Johnson and Mazie Hirono. (Wiki 1) The most significant question to answer after reading this article is: Why did Ellison feel it necessary to swear his oath of office on the Koran? His fellow minority congress members Johnson and Hirono, proclaimed Buddhists, swore in using the Bible. The Koran is defined as the central religious text of Islam. (Oxford 1) Renowned public speaker and author Dennis Prager said, “America, not Keith Ellison, decides what book a congressman takes his oath on.” (Prager 1) I will summarize this controversial article and provide my analysis. For many years congress members have followed the tradition of their incumbent. These traditions range from oath ceremonies to remaining loyal to their district. When Keith Ellison was elected as congressman, he made a conscious decision to break American tradition and swear his oath using the Koran. The first Muslim elected to Congress received backlash following his decision. Ellison claimed that he wanted to use a special book, Thomas Jefferson’s version of the Koran. Ellison’s spokesman said, “Keith is paying respect not only to the founding fathers’ belief in religious freedom but the Constitution itself.” There is one major problem; Thomas Jefferson’s version of the Koran was used to help understand the reasoning behind the “Barbary Coast Pirates.” (Warrior 1) Ellison’s statement regarding why he chose to take his oath using the Koran was inaccurate and uneducated. Behind Ellison’s judgment, the

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