Abdul El-Sayed to Become First Muslim U.S. Senator, Plans Quran Oath
Democrat Abdul El-Sayed defeated Republican Mike Rogers by seven points earlier this month to win Michigan's open Senate seat, vacated by retiring Sen. Gary Peters, becoming the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate. During a Nov. 12 NPR interview, the physician and former public health official said he will likely use Thomas Jefferson’s Quran or the University of Michigan's first Michigan Quran. The choice has sparked reactions, with supporters celebrating diversity under the Constitution's no-religious-test rule, while critics question its alignment with founding principles amid his sharp criticism of President Trump.
Abdul El-Sayed:
I will likely swear on a Quran. Which Quran, we're not sure.
Thomas Jefferson had a copy of the Quran. So when Keith Ellison was sworn in to Congress, he swore on that copy.
There's also the first Quran in the state of Michigan. The University of Michigan…