Judges to consider Quran use for oaths

[Amelia]

Judges to consider Quran use for oaths

Islamic center's offer to donate books was denied in Greensboro

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Tuesday, June 21, 2005

GREENSBORO

The state's judges will be asked this week to decide whether witnesses in North Carolina courtrooms can be sworn in on a Quran rather than a Bible.

The move comes after Guilford County judges rejected an offer last week by the Greensboro Islamic center to donate copies of the Quran, the Muslim holy book.

The Administrative Office of the Courts will ask the opinion of the state's judges when they meet this week at judicial conferences in Asheville and Wrightsville Beach, said Dick Ellis, a spokesman for the office.

"We'll take the input of the judges and bring it together and try to come up with an answer that pleases most people and follows the law," he said.

That move came after the office got queries on the issue last week.

In a preliminary opinion issued last week, a lawyer for the Administrative Office of the Courts said that state law allows people to be sworn in using a Quran rather than a Bible, Ellis said. But Guilford County judges told officials with the Islamic center Friday that they would not allow that in their courtrooms.

"An oath on the Quran is not a lawful oath under our law," W. Douglas Albright, Guilford's Senior Resident Superior Court judge, said earlier in the week.

That decision disappointed Syidah Mateen, who tried to donate the copies of the Quran.

"This is a diverse world, and everybody does not worship or believe the same," she said.

Ellis said he is not aware of anyone ever being allowed to swear on anything other than the Bible in a North Carolina courtroom.

Anyone who objects to that may take an oath, which means that they raise their hand and affirm to tell the truth

[Nicodema]

Isn't swearing and making oaths supposed to be wrong, according to the Bible (Jesus' own words in fact)? We are instead to let our yes be yes and our no be no. Right?

[Neil D]

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Nicodema said:

Isn't swearing and making oaths supposed to be wrong, according to the Bible (Jesus' own words in fact)? We are instead to let our yes be yes and our no be no. Right?

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I would surmise that this is true..... for Christians and other principled people.

After all, what is a oath suppose to do? Why do we take these types of oaths? Do they make us "more holy"? I don't think so. Do they make what we say more true? I don't think that either. Is there a better verasity in what we say under oath? Possibly...

Just what is it about oaths that makes it more true?

[aldona]

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Nicodema said:

Isn't swearing and making oaths supposed to be wrong, according to the Bible (Jesus' own words in fact)? We are instead to let our yes be yes and our no be no. Right?

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That's right...there is something wrong with placing your hand on the Book that says "Swear not at all", and swearing an oath.

Our Quaker friends have long maintained that it is wrong to swear oaths, for the reasons above. The implication being, that if you swear something is true, then the rest of the time your speech is less than 100% truthful.

aldona