Eleanor Finch
In December 2018, a viral meme circulated on social media claiming that three Muslim congresswomen had refused to take the oath of office to uphold the US Constitution. The meme garnered a lot of attention, with many people sharing it and commenting on it. However, this claim is false. Firstly, at the start of each new Congress, all members beginning a new term are required to take an oath to support and defend the Constitution. Secondly, the swearing-in ceremony for the 116th Congress was scheduled for January 3, 2019, so no members could have refused to take the oath before that date.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of claim | December 2018 |
| Source of claim | Facebook meme |
| Number of women | Three |
| Religion of women | Muslim |
| Status of claim | False |
| Reason for being false | The swearing-in ceremony had not yet taken place |
| Date of swearing-in ceremony | 3 January 2019 |
| Number of Muslim women taking the oath | Two |
| Names of Muslim women taking the oath | Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar |
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What You'll Learn
- A meme claimed three Muslim congresswomen refused to take the oath
- The swearing-in ceremony had not taken place when the meme started circulating
- Only two Muslim women were taking the oath in January 2019
- The oath is taken in a public, group swearing-in ceremony
- The oath is: I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution
A meme claimed three Muslim congresswomen refused to take the oath
In December 2018, a text-based meme began circulating on Facebook claiming that three Muslim congresswomen had refused to take the oath of office to uphold the US Constitution. The meme read:
> WAKE UP AMERICA LOOK HOW MANY ARE IN YOUR GOVERNMENT! How can this be? We are electing people that vow our countries destruction and way of life ... To do away with the constitution and install SHARA LAW. They refuse to pledge allegiance to America!
However, this claim is false. Firstly, the swearing-in ceremony for the 116th Congress was scheduled for 3 January 2019, so no members could have refused to take the oath yet. Secondly, only two Muslim women, Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, were due to take the oath of office as members of the US House of Representatives in January 2019.
The oath of office, also known as the swearing-in ceremony, is required for all members of Congress, the president, vice president, and Supreme Court justices. The current oath is:
> I, AB, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.
This oath is taken in a public, group swearing-in ceremony on the opening day of a new Congress. No religious texts are used, as specified in the Constitution.
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The swearing-in ceremony had not taken place when the meme started circulating
In December 2018, a text-based meme began to circulate on Facebook claiming that three 'Muslim congresswomen' had refused to take their oath of office to uphold the constitution. The meme read:
> Wake up America look how many are in your government! How can this be? We are electing people that vow our countries destruction and way of life... To do away with the constitution and install SHARA LAW. They refuse to pledge allegiance to America!
However, the swearing-in ceremony for the 116th Congress was not scheduled to take place until 3 January 2019. As such, no members could have refused to take the oath at the time the meme was circulating. Furthermore, only two Muslim women, Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, were due to take the oath of office as members of the U.S. House of Representatives in January 2019.
The oath of office, also known as the swearing-in ceremony, is a requirement for all officials, including members of Congress, to take when they are sworn into office. The U.S. Constitution, Article VI, Clause 3, specifies that officials:
> shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.
The current oath of office, which has been used since 1966, reads:
> I, AB, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.
The oath is taken in a public, group swearing-in ceremony on the opening day of a new Congress.
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Only two Muslim women were taking the oath in January 2019
In January 2019, Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar became the first two Muslim women to be elected to the United States Congress. They took their oaths on the Holy Quran in a televised ceremony. Tlaib, dressed in traditional Palestinian attire, used the 1734 English translation of the Quran that once belonged to Thomas Jefferson, a US founding father. Omar, the first Muslim woman to wear a hijab in the House chamber, used the Quran that belonged to her late grandfather.
Tlaib and Omar's election to Congress was particularly significant given the political climate at the time. The two women, both Democrats, were immigrants, Muslims, and women—three identities that were under attack by the Trump administration. Their use of the Quran during the swearing-in ceremony was seen as a rebuff to President Donald Trump's stance on these communities.
The election of Tlaib and Omar to Congress was also notable as they were the first Muslim women to serve in the 435-member US House of Representatives. Tlaib, of Palestinian origin, had previously made history in 2008 as the first Muslim woman to be elected as a State Representative. Omar, a Somali-American, had become the first Somali-American, Muslim legislator in the US in 2016 when she was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives.
In the lead-up to their swearing-in ceremony, a viral meme circulated on social media claiming that three Muslim congresswomen had refused to take the oath of office to uphold the US Constitution. This meme was false, as the swearing-in ceremony had not yet taken place when it started circulating in December 2018. Furthermore, only two Muslim women, Tlaib and Omar, were taking the oath in January 2019.
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The oath is taken in a public, group swearing-in ceremony
In December 2018, a viral text-based meme started circulating on Facebook and other social media platforms claiming that three Muslim congresswomen had refused to take their oath of office to uphold the constitution. This was, however, not true. The 116th Congress was not scheduled to be sworn in until January 3, 2019, so no members could have refused to take the oath at the time.
> I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.
The location of the Vice President’s oath-taking ceremony has changed since John Adams became Vice President in 1789. Today, the Vice President recites the oath on the Inaugural platform constructed on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol, prior to the swearing-in of the President. Until 1937, most Vice Presidents took the oath of office in the Senate chamber, prior to the President’s Swearing-In Ceremony.
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The oath is: I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution
In December 2018, a meme started circulating on Facebook claiming that three Muslim congresswomen had refused to take their oath of office to uphold the US Constitution. The meme, which garnered a lot of attention and outrage, was false. Firstly, the swearing-in ceremony for the 116th Congress was scheduled for January 3, 2019, so no members could have refused to take the oath yet. Secondly, refusing to take the oath is not an option as it is a requirement for taking office.
The oath of office, also known as the swearing-in ceremony, is a requirement for all members of Congress, the president, vice president, and Supreme Court justices. The current form of the oath, which has been unchanged since 1966, reads:
> "I [name] do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God."
This oath is taken in a public, group swearing-in ceremony on the opening day of a new Congress. Members raise their right hands and repeat the oath, and no religious texts are used, as specified in the Constitution.
The requirement for an oath of office for federal and state officials, without a religious test, was decided by the founders and included in the US Constitution, Article VI, Clause 3:
> "The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States."
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Frequently asked questions
No. In December 2018, a viral meme claimed that three Muslim Congresswomen had refused to take the oath of office to uphold the Constitution. However, this was false as the swearing-in ceremony for the 116th Congress was scheduled for January 3, 2019, and had not yet taken place.
The oath to uphold the Constitution is a requirement for all members of Congress and other federal officials. The current oath, which has been in use since 1966, states: "I, AB, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God."
No, the U.S. Constitution states that "no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States." This means that members of Congress are not required to swear allegiance to a specific religion or God when taking the oath.
No, all members of Congress are required to take the oath of office as it is a constitutional requirement. The oath is typically taken during a public, group swearing-in ceremony on the opening day of a new Congress.
Yes, the form of the oath has changed several times since the first Congress. During the Civil War, for example, an "Ironclad Test Oath" was added to require civilian and military officials to swear they had never aided or encouraged "persons engaged in armed hostility" against the United States. This section was later repealed in 1884.
