Detroit congresswoman uses Koran for swearing-in ceremony

NOTE: This story has been updated to reflect that Rashida Tlaib ultimately decided against using Thomas Jefferson's copy of the Koran during her swearing-in ceremony. She instead used her own. 

WASHINGTON – Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit, was sworn into Congress with the rest of her class, but at her ceremonial swearing-in, she decided against using Thomas Jefferson's copy of the Koran.

"I'm going to use my own," said Tlaib, who becomes the first Palestinian-American woman and one of the first two Muslim women, along with Minnesota's Ilhan Omar, to be sworn into Congress. She spoke just before heading into the ceremonial swearing-in with new House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The Detroit Free Press had earlier reported on Tlaib considering using the Jefferson text, a 1734 translation of the Koran into English that resides in the Library of Congress. But Tlaib said her earlier decision was never meant to be final and that she changed her mind some time ago.

"Why uplift someone else?" she said. "It's starting a new era in social justice. ... It just occurred to me: Why am I not using my own?" 

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For the record, Tlaib did wear a traditional Palestinian thobe, or dress, which her mother — who was there for the swearing in — made for her as she was sworn in.

"For my mom, it honors her in so many ways," she said.

Besides the history, however, Tlaib admitted the whole event made her a little emotional.

"Just being here. you have to think, 'Is it really happening?'" she said. "I can't wait to spoil my constituents"

Tlaib, a Detroit Democrat was elected to the seat formerly held by U.S. Rep. John Conyers.

Contact Todd Spangler: 703-854-8947 or tspangler@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter at @tsspangler.