Last week, Keith Ellison took office as the first Muslim member of Congress. During his private ceremony, Ellison was sworn in with one hand on the Muslim holy book — the Quran.
And alas, the country did not crumble and fall into the hands of our opponents when the Minnesota congressman's hand rested on the Quran during the ceremony.
Prior to Ellison's private ceremony, he joined his fellow representatives for a public swearing in ceremony, where no holy book was present. The second ceremony, in which a representative can choose to hold a religious book, was simply a chance for the press to see and photograph the new member of Congress.
The story of the first Muslim being elected to Congress seemed to be a bright spot in the media's coverage of Muslims.
It was a positive light among stories of terrorism and racial profiling that we normally read and hear.
Then Ellison decided to exercise his freedom of religion, sparking nationwide debate and criticism from Rep. Virgil Goode, R-Va., who said immigration should be reformed or "many more Muslims" will be elected, according to the Washington Post.
Also, Dennis Prager, a conservative radio host, said Ellison should not be allowed to serve if he refused to be sworn in on the Bible, because it is a traditional religious text in the U.S.
Article VI of the U.S. Constitution states that "no religious test shall be required" for any public office. Asking a Muslim congressman to be sworn in on a Bible during his individual ceremony seems like a blatant religious test.
Ellison, who was raised Catholic and converted to Islam while at Wayne State University, is not the first congressman to use his freedom of religion.
Jewish members of Congress have sworn in on the Torah in their private ceremonies and other members have forgone the use of a religious text.
Even in an empty ceremony, Ellison's use of the Quran sparks controversy, as our country is knee-deep in conflict in the Middle East. This appears to be a transparent excuse for anti-Muslim sentiment to be publicly expressed.
As a further expression of his religious rights, Ellison used a copy of the Quran owned by Thomas Jefferson. The copy was housed in the Library of Congress, and Ellison insists that it influenced Jefferson's thinking. If any question of his religious rights remained, Ellison invoked the consent of one of the nation's founding fathers.
The problem has nothing to do with Ellison refusing to use the Bible, or even substituting it for another religious text. The conflict has everything to do with an existing prejudice among many Americans about Muslims. Many Americans simply view all Muslims as radical and terrorists.
Hopefully, this prejudice will be worn away shortly with more Muslims, such as Ellison, rising to prominent positions in the United States.
