'Place your left hand on the Quran': Foreign-born lieutenant governor does not swear in on Bible

In one of the clearest examples of elections having consequences in recent times, Virginia's new lieutenant governor's swearing-in ceremony made history for its unorthodox changes.

On Saturday, Ghazala Firdous Hashmi took her oath of office to fill the lieutenant governor seat. However there was one major twist to the proceedings: Instead of placing her left hand on the Bible, Hashmi swore her oath on the Quran.

Hashmi sees her election and inauguration as a sign of Virginia's 'continued progress toward a more representative and inclusive democracy.'

"Place your left hand on the Quran," the woman directing the inauguration instructed Hashmi.

"I, Ghazala Firdous Hashmi, do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States," she said during the ceremony.

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Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images

According to her official website, Hashmi was born in Hyderabad, India, and was brought to the United States as a child.

She is the first Muslim woman to hold statewide office in the nation and the first South Asian-American to be elected to statewide office in Virginia.

Hashmi sees her election and inauguration as a sign of Virginia's "continued progress toward a more representative and inclusive democracy."

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