Who was sworn in with the Qur'an?
No US president has been sworn in using a Qur'an, but several
congressmen have been. In January 2007. Keith Ellison D- Minnesota,
the first Muslim member of the House of Representatives, took a
ceremonial oath with a Qur'an once owned by Thomas Jefferson. (It
is worth noting that Thomas Jefferson was sworn in on a Bible; he
just happened to own a Qur'an and Ellison chose to use it for the
symbolic significance that the document could be traced to one of
America's founders.) Another Muslim Congressman, André Carson, a
Representative from Indiana, was also sworn in on the Qur'an.
Barack Obama who is sometimes incorrectly called a Muslim, was
NOT sworn in on the Qur'an. (This is an internet myth.) He was
sworn in on the Bible used by Abraham Lincoln, and in his second
term oath of office, he used one from Martin Luther King when
taking the oath of office. And of course, presidents and prime
ministers from Muslim countries have used the Muslim holy book when
taking their ceremonial oath.