Thomas Jefferson's Quran

I'd been considering a post on this subject since the announcement that Keith Ellison would take his Oath of Office on Thomas Jefferson's English translation of the Quran. By now, much has been said and written on the subject, by others more diligent than I.

The Ellison camp was exultant, touting a coup of sorts, a kind of "Up your Noses you Stupid Bigots!" sort of thing. Obviously, Jefferson was an Enlightened and Erudite Person. Predictably, many Media personalities were of the same attitude.

It seems that Ellison and his camp were however, as most people these days, ignorant of History. In his usual excellent style, Christopher Hitchens, in Slate Magazine 1/09/07, writes: Jefferson's Quran--What the Founder really thought about Islam I will not presume to upstage Hitch's work, or excerpt it here. Check it out.

I've come across recently, and in the last several months, a number of articles regarding Islam in History. Hitch apparently has drawn from some of these. Note that these were up and well known by many, long before the election of Keith Ellison.

It has been said that "Those who refuse to learn from History are condemned to repeat it." One cannot possibly learn from that which he does not know. The following links may be of interest to, and a resource for, the enquiring mind. Thanks to those who brought these to my attention.

America's First War on Terror

Jefferson, the Adamses, and making sense

First Barbary War

Second Barbary War

Captives of Barbary States

Famous Barbary Corsairs

Knights of Malta Quite lengthy, tedious in middle.

"Old Ironsides" History