US:Plans by the first Muslim elected to the US Congress to use the Koran as part of his swearing-in ceremony have unleashed criticism from people who believe he should use a Bible instead.
The controversy, which involves Keith Ellison, a Minnesota Democrat elected to the House of Representatives last month, deals more with symbol than substance since House members are sworn in as a group with no Bibles or other texts involved.
In fact, the US constitution states that "no religious test shall ever be required" to hold public office. But in a country where three out of four people consider themselves Christian, the Bible has traditionally been used in the ensuing unofficial ceremonies.
Complaints were voiced on the internet and by at least one conservative radio commentator after Mr Ellison said he would use the Koran in his unofficial ceremony.
But the controversy grew this week with the disclosure of a letter that Virginia Republican representative Virgil Goode sent to some of his constituents. He wrote: "The Muslim representative from Minnesota was elected by the voters of that district and if American citizens don't wake up and adopt [ my] position on immigration there will likely be many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of the Koran." He called for strict immigration policies crafted to keep Muslims out of the US.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations demanded that Mr Goode apologise. Corey Saylor, national legislative director for the group, said his comments were particularly odd given that Mr Ellison was born in the US and "tells us he can trace his ancestry here to 1741".
Representative Bill Pascrell, a New Jersey Democrat, wrote to Mr Goode on Wednesday, saying: "Promoting a fear and disrespect of Muslims is not only wrong-headed, but it is reckless."