In the custody matter of Musaitef v. Musaitef, Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Case No. 0c1202189, the judge ruled that a Muslim woman may not swear on a Quran while taking the oath before testifying at a hearing.
At a hearing in the Musaitef matter, the mother, a Muslim, requested that she be sworn in by putting her hand on a Quran instead of a Christian Bible when taking the oath before testifying. The father in the matter, who interestingly is also a Muslim, objected to the use of the Quran, arguing at the hearing and subsequently in a brief (discussed below), that it served as witness intimidation in that a Quran is not statutorily permitted to be used for administering oaths at a hearing. The mother remained resolute in wanting to use the Quran, so the judge asked the parties to brief the issue of whether the use of a Quran for swearing in at a hearing is legally permissible.
