This third President of the US had 10,000 titles in his library . Including a copy of the Quran , in the pages of which he wrote notes in the margins . In The Book Review of The New York Times ( Nov.17 , 2013 ) Denise Spellberg reaches a startling conclusion . She traces the origins of the separation between Church and State to Jefferson's reflection on the Quran . In this regard , she also cites the possible influence of white Muslim slaves on him.
If that is the case , one may be permitted to link the impact of Jefferson's Quran to liberal democracy . A conclusion , if asserted , would be a denial of legitimacy to both jihadism and its companion , Wahhabism . It is the oldest American condemnation of the scum who perpetrated 9/11 .
When did Jefferson discover an English translation of Islam's sacred book --" the words of God " . Spellberg's response : When studying law at the college of William and Mary in Virginia . As an associate professor at the University of Texas at Austin , she states :
" What began as an academic interest in Islamic law ( Sharia ) , and religion yielded a fascination with Islamic culture which disposed him to include Muslims in his expansive vision of American citizenship " .
So why did Western animus against Islam become pervasive ? . The short answer is : Fear of the Ottoman empire which caused that fear to spread to Islam and the Arabs . That is although the word " sword " ( the threatening emblem of Saudi Arabia and the Muslim Brotherhood ) is no where to be found in the Quran . The Turks glorified the sword , using it against non-Muslims as well as Muslims , forgetting that Islam calls for tolerance toward all faiths , and the non-faithful as well .
The Quran says : " Those who wish to believe , should be allowed their belief . And those who wish to disbelieve should be allowed their disbelief " . This principle of the freedom of both belief and non-belief is anchored in Jeffersonian democracy . And is asserted in the First Amendment of the Us Constitution in these words : " Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion , or prohibiting the free excercise thereof " .
Along the same thought trajectory , the Quran denounces Takfeer -- the epithet of disbelief . It leaves such weighty judgement to God ( Allah ) in the Hereafter . Thus no human has that awesome power . For it constitutes a coup against the Creator . Hence the Jeffersonian captivation with religious liberty . His notations on his copy of the Quran attests to his espousal of those lofty principles . And he put those beliefs in the US Constitution . An enduring memorial for all ages .
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