US lawmaker under fire for protesting Sikh prayer in Congress

The TOI analogous from Washington: A racist Republican lawmaker known for making inflammatory statements is nether occurrence aft misidentifying a Sikh spiritual person arsenic Muslim and declaring helium should ne'er person been allowed to present the greeting supplication successful Congress successful a state she falsely claimed was "founded arsenic a Christian nation.

"“It’s profoundly troubling that a Muslim was allowed to pb supplication successful the House of Representatives this morning. This should ne'er person been allowed to happen. America was founded arsenic a Christian nation, and I judge our authorities should bespeak that truth, not drift further…” Illinois lawmaker Mary Miller said successful a now-deleted post, aft she had corrected the spiritual identity.The remark embarrassed the Republican Party beyond its racist MAGA base, peculiarly since it was a GOP Congressman who had invited New Jersey granthi Giani Singh to present the prayer. "I was arrogant to invitation a Sikh chaplain to unfastened the House with supplication this morning. The Sikh assemblage is peaceful, generous, and profoundly rooted successful household and service, values we should each appreciate, nary substance our religion," New Jersey Congressman Jeff van Drew said, adding, "as a Catholic, I instrumentality my religion earnestly and I besides judge portion of being American is respecting different people's faiths too."Miller was besides castigated by the Democratic Party, which is much typical of America's changing demographics.

“It’s profoundly troubling that specified an ignorant and hateful extremist is serving successful the United States Congress,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said connected X. “That would beryllium you, Mary.”Lawmakers connected some sides of the aisle and nationalist intellectuals besides called retired Miller for falsely claiming the US was founded arsenic a Christian nation, a much caller fabrication promoted by racist MAGA hardliners. The US was not founded arsenic an explicitly Christian nation, and the First Amendment to the Constitution protects state of religion.In fact, the archetypal Sikhs came to America astir 1900, agelong earlier the forebears of galore MAGA extremists. Early Sikhs settled down connected the Pacific coast, and galore of their descendants are present prosperous and politically influential farmers and concern owners successful California, a information recognised by section lawmakers.“I’m troubled by my colleague’s remarks astir this morning’s Sikh prayer, which person since been deleted,” California Congressman David Valadao, a Republican, wrote connected X.

“Throughout the country—and successful the Central Valley— Sikh-Americans are valued and respected members of our communities, yet they proceed to look harassment and discrimination.There are much than 500,000 Sikhs successful the US, according to Sikh Advocacy groups, though the 2020 US census reported lone 70,697 respondents identifying arsenic Sikh. Many of them are successful California's Central Valley, wherever immoderate towns person had Sikh mayors and Punjabi is commonly spoken. The GOP besides has astatine slightest 2 salient Sikhs successful enactment positions: Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and erstwhile Trump run ineligible advisor and US adjunct lawyer wide for the civilian rights part Harmeet Dhillon. Dhillon successful information delivered the closing invocation (antim ardas) astatine the Republican National Convention past year, triggering a backlash from MAGA fundamentalists, 1 of whom posted this connected X: "ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE!! I person thing but respect for Harmeet Dhillon but occurrence whoever invited her to commune to a overseas god, determination is lone 1 existent God we commune to and his sanction is not immoderate she said. His sanction is YAHWEH and his lone begotten Son is Jesus Christ.

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