David Barton Can’t Decide When or Why Thomas Jefferson Got His Quran

David Barton is a confusing fellow. Sometimes he tells one story and other times he contradicts himself. Take the facts surrounding Thomas Jefferson’s Quran.

Jefferson owned a Quran and Barton has told a couple of different stories about it. First, he told Glenn Beck that Jefferson bought the Quran while on a mission to Islamic nations so he could understand his Islamic enemies. He later modified this story to make it somewhat more accurate. Actually, Jefferson bought his copy of the Quran long before that mission.

However, not one to let a good distortion go to waste, Barton has pulled it out again for World Net Daily in this video.

 

Dave Barton addresses the lies of Barack Obama made at the Mosque in Baltimore on February 1, 2016, where he said “Islam has always been part of America.” Barton screwers the LIES Obama told about Islam and Thomas Jefferson in his speech in this MUST WATCH videoThe new edition of “The Jefferson Lies: Exposing the Myths You’ve Always Believed About Thomas Jefferson” by David Barton is the must have book that sets the record straight on Jefferson as THE quintessential American founder.Get the book signed here –> http://superstore.wnd.com/Jefferson-Lies-Exposing-the-Myths-Youve-Always-Believed-About-Thomas-Jefferson-Paperback?promocode=FBJeffersonLiesGet the book at Amazon.com here –> http://amzn.to/1Rj7Dxh

Posted by David Barton/WallBuilders on Monday, February 8, 2016

At 1:55 into the video, Barton purports to address Barack Obama’s recent appearance at a Mosque in Baltimore. Obama reminded the audience there that Jefferson owned a Quran. In response, Barton claims to explain why Jefferson owned it. Barton says Jefferson bought the Quran in order to learn more about his Islamic enemies. Barton says that in 1784 we had to deal with Muslim terrorists (Barbary Pirates) by sending John Adams, Ben Franklin and Jefferson to negotiate with five Islamic nations attacking Americans. Barton says that Jefferson and Adams both bought Qurans because they wanted to understand claims made by an Islamic ambassador. According to Barton’s timeline, this happened in 1786.

Barton also implies that Jefferson’s administration had something to do with the printing of the first American edition of the Quran. Not so. The 1806 edition of the Koran was printed by Henry Brewer for Isaiah Thomas. The introduction which Barton reads was actually taken from a version in the 1600s and was not specific to Jefferson’s administration.
In fact, as the Monticello website makes clear, Jefferson purchased his copy of the Quran long before 1786.

Thomas Jefferson owned a copy of the Qur’an, which was the second edition of a 1734 translation by George Sale, a two-volume set published in London in 1764. This set was sold to the Library of Congress in 1815, and rebound by the Library in 1918. The daybook of the Virginia Gazette records the purchase of this edition by Jefferson in Williamsburg in 1765.1 There are no other known records of Jefferson reacquiring this work, suggesting perhaps that it survived the fire at Jefferson’s family home, Shadwell, in 1770.

The bottom line is that Thomas Jefferson purchased his copy of the Quran in 1765. David Barton, alleged Jefferson expert, repeatedly gets this fact wrong by saying Jefferson acquired it while on diplomatic mission in 1786. Later, Barton tap danced around the facts to his buddy Glenn Beck but more recently returned to the false narrative that has Jefferson buying it in 1786.
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David Barton Smooths Over His Errors about Thomas Jefferson's Quran

Today on a segment of the Glenn Beck Show*, David Barton was asked if Salon was correct that Thomas Jefferson owned a Quran 16 years before he wrote the Declaration of Independence or is what Glenn Beck always heard (from Barton actually) true that Jefferson got a Quran after he became ambassador to Tripoli because he wanted to know his enemy. Here is what Barton said today (start at 3:54 for the question):

Beck asked “which is true?” Barton replied, “Some of both.” However, that is not what Barton told Beck in 2011. The reason Glenn Beck thought Jefferson got a copy of the Quran in the 178os was because David Barton told him that. I don’t feel sorry for you Mr. Beck, Jay Richards tried to warn you. Watch (see especially the segment from 8:49 on):
[youtube]http://youtu.be/bVPopT-tO70[/youtube]
Barton also told a similar story in this video:
[youtube]http://youtu.be/FE6Z2sOq44U[/youtube]
In this Glenn Beck appearance, Beck and Barton agreed Jefferson bought the Quran to see what they believed as a consequence of the war against Muslim nations. Barton said he got it in 1806.

 
Again, it was Barton who revised history.
It was nice of Beck to help Barton try to extract himself from the false narrative he told audiences in the past, including Beck’s. As you will see if you watch these clips, Barton claimed that Jefferson purchased a Quran in the 1780s to help him understand his Barbary enemies. However, Jefferson first purchased a Quran when he was studying to be a lawyer in 1765. His interest was academic most likely, in that he wanted to understand other traditions of law. Barton says he purchased it “from an apologetics standpoint,” however, I know of no evidence to that effect.
Barton in the Beck video above tap dances around the fact that Jefferson owned the Quran prior to negotiating with the Barbery nations in the 1780s. He also implies Jefferson may have had the edition in 1746. Actually he purchased the 1764 version just after it was published.
*Beck began the show discussing Barack Obama’s claim that Islam has been woven into the fabric of the nation since the founding. That claim is unfounded as well. There were Muslims here but “woven into the fabric?”  Jefferson and other founders were interested in Islam and Jefferson in particular believed that religious liberty included all religions included Islam. However to say that Islam was “woven into the fabric” is not supported anything I have seen.
By the way, I can’t find anything Barton mentioned at Islam101.com. Thanks to commenter J.J. for pointing out where Barton got his information on Muslims in U.S. History.
Another problem with this segment is Barton’s claim that the Atlantic slave trade was due to Muslim slavers. While Muslims were involved in the trans-Saharan slave trade and sold slaves to European traders, it is ridiculous to insinuate that American slavery was primarily due to Muslims. Europeans also captured slaves and there would have been no slave trade if not for the demand in North and South America.
All those who criticize President Obama for his inaccurate statements regarding Islam need to be consistent and hold David Barton and Glenn Beck to the same standard.

Christian singer promotes counteraction against planned burning of the Quran

Sonia Vannest an independent Christian singer is organizing a protest outside the church which is slated to burn the Islamic holy book on 9/11. You can read more about her event on Facebook where she is seeking to organize people to come and sit outside Dove World Outreach Center tomorrow 9/10/10.

UPDATE: As is being widely reported, the Quran roast is off and the Pastor who called it off says he got a commitment from the NY Ground Zero would be mosque builder to move it.

Well now, “pastor” Jones says he might postpone the bonfire, and hold it later…

UPDATE:

New UPDATE 9/10/10 12:35

With the indecision of the Quran burning by the Dove World Outreach Center still in limbo, the Christian Counteraction Peaceful Prayer Vigil will continue but rescheduled for 9/11 beginning at 4:00pm in front of the Dove World Outreach Center.

5805 Northwest 37th Street Gainesville, FL 32653

Although there may be other groups present, the Prayer Vigil will be a silent, prayerful counteraction displaying reminders that God is Love on signs.

Plan on heavy traffic and parking issues. If you wish to find me, I will be holding a God is Love sign and probably wearing a LIVE LOVE LOUD tshirt.

Contact me if you still wish to attend and group together with me.