El-Sayed Plans to Take Senate Oath on Quran
Abdul El-Sayed, the Michigan Democrat poised to become the Senate’s first Muslim member, said he expects to take his oath of office with a Quran. He has not decided which copy to use, saying the University of Michigan’s historic copy is one possibility, as is a Quran once owned by Thomas Jefferson.
Jefferson’s Quran was used by Keith Ellison when he took the oath after winning a seat in Congress in 2006 as the first Muslim to do so. Ellison represented Minnesota in the House until 2019 and is now the state’s attorney general.
El-Sayed said the book used for the oath is distinct from the Constitution, which he described as the basis for his ability to run for office and for Michigan voters to elect him. He also said his name is American and described himself as fully American.
In the same interview, El-Sayed said his preference would be for Sen. Chris Van Hollen to replace Chuck Schumer as Senate Democratic leader. He said he appreciated Schumer but worried that returning to the party’s previous approach could cost Democrats public support. El-Sayed has also called for ending the Iran war, adopting Medicare for All and abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
El-Sayed’s Quran Oath Puts Religious Freedom in Focus
Abdul El-Sayed’s plan to take the Senate oath on a Quran makes a simple point about American democracy: religious faith does not bar a candidate from public office. The Michigan Democrat, set to become the Senate’s first Muslim member, said he expects to use a Quran when sworn in.
He is considering a copy once owned by Thomas Jefferson, which Keith Ellison used for his congressional oath, or an old Quran held by the University of Michigan. Ellison won a House seat in 2006, becoming the first Muslim member of Congress, and later served Minnesota as a House member.
El-Sayed said the Constitution is what makes it possible for him to run and for Michigan voters to choose him, regardless of how he prays or what book he uses for the oath. He also affirmed that his name is American and described himself as fully American.
The choice of a Quran does not change the oath’s constitutional foundation. El-Sayed’s comments put that distinction at the center of a moment that would make him the first senator sworn in on the Islamic scripture. He also said he would prefer Chris Van Hollen to replace Chuck Schumer as Senate Democratic leader, arguing that Democrats should not simply return to their previous approach.
El-Sayed’s Quran Oath Choice Raises Questions Beyond Ceremony
Abdul El-Sayed’s planned Quran oath is more than a ceremonial choice: the Michigan Democrat has also made forceful policy demands and wants a change in Senate Democratic leadership. He said he expects to use a Quran when he takes office, though he has not settled on which copy.
One possibility is a Quran held by the University of Michigan; another is a copy once owned by Thomas Jefferson and used by Keith Ellison for his congressional oath. El-Sayed is set to become the Senate’s first Muslim member. Ellison, the first Muslim to win a seat in Congress, represented Minnesota in the House before becoming the state’s attorney general.
El-Sayed defended his name as American and said the Constitution, rather than the religious book used in the ceremony, is what enables him to seek office and be elected. His stated policy positions include ending the Iran war, establishing Medicare for All and abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
He also said Chris Van Hollen would be his preference to replace Chuck Schumer as Senate Democratic leader. El-Sayed said he appreciates Schumer but worries Democrats could fail to retain public support if they return to their old approach. His oath plans and political agenda place questions of religious identity and the direction of his party alongside his arrival in the Senate.
Reported by The Daily Wire, Breitbart, The Blaze, Townhall.
