Posted on 08/22/2005 4:06:55 PM PDT by Pikamax
Oaths must accommodate all
By Mohammad Ayoub
August 22, 2005
There is a desperate need for a serious national conversation about freedom of religion.
Last June, a North Carolina judge, W. Douglas Albright, contended that the law of his state allows an oath to be taken only upon "Holy Scriptures" -- the Bible. He further declared that an oath on the Quran would not be a lawful oath.
But the First Amendment to the Constitution states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."
Why should Muslims, Jews and others be asked to swear by the Bible? For obvious reasons, letting Muslims swear by the Quran would ensure that their oath is sincere and truthful.
Contrary to popular perception, Islam is no stranger to this land. The first Muslims are reported to have arrived in the Americas around 1530.
In all, an estimated 10 percent to 20 percent of the African slaves were Muslims. Historians have recorded that former slaves on Georgia's outer banks continued to practice Islam until the early years of the 20th century. However, faced with government and cultural hostility, the vast majority of these West Africans were converted to Christianity.
(Excerpt) Read more at sun-sentinel.com ...
There is no national question here.
Wah.
Presumably North Carolina has had a few Quakers in court over the years ~ maybe even someone helping slaves runaway.
I think this judge simply doesn't know his precedents.
If I go to court I'm going to request that I be allowed to swear on a stack of Pottery Barn catalogues.
My religion worships uranium....you need to have uranium in the court room to swear me in! (sarcasm)
Good luck finding "just the right book" for Druids, Wiccan, Satanists, Zoroastrianists, Rastafarians, Caodai, etc etc etc....
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
Yes. The law says Holy Scriptures like the Bible, not pieces of worthless crap like the supposedly holy quran.
Muslims are not content with simply an affirmation. They want their terrorist-supporting and hate-filled religion to be elevated to the level of Christianity and Judaism, that is what this is all about.
Muslim should have exactly the same degree of freedom of religion here as Christians have in Muslim countries.
The Koran permits lies to infidels. If they use that book in the courtroom, opposing counsel should read that part to the court.
Thank you Teddy Kennedy and the rest of the leftists for the Immigration "reform" of 1965 of which has since favored Third World dregs with whom America shares NO values...
As though Kennedy and his ilk haven't found MORE ways to eff-up this country.
I prefer The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy myself. Although I suppose I could accept Dr Seuses' Green Eggs and Ham as a reasonable substitute.
"opposing counsel should read that part to the court"
I'll second that motion.
I am a court reporter in North Carolina; we offer the oath OR affirmation.
Have for 20 years.
They don't make oaths.
Then there are the snakehandlers out there in the mountains ~ they don't make oaths, and they don't swear on the Bible.
There's no way vast stretches of North Carolina could function if it really did require Oaths taken on Bibles.
Whether or not they are content with affirmations, no one in America is required to swear an oath on a Bible. That's been the case since 1790.
Hmmmm... what "obvious" reasons would that be I wonder?
Does Mr. Ayoub know of the principle of Al-Takeyya?
jw
Well, as long as the President refers to them as the "Religion of Peace," Hollywood is afraid to run a "Muslim terrorist" storyline because of CAIR and Zogby, Islam is taught in some public schools, and conservative radio talk show hosts are being fired for "offending" Islam, why shouldn't they be emboldened?
Funny, but ever since 9/11 Islam has as you say actually been elevated as a "great" religion, instead of decried as a dangerously insane death-cult.
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