Latest news with #GianiSurinderSingh
The Herald Scotland
08-06-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
GOP lawmaker slammed for 'hateful' post about congressional chaplain
"This should have never been allowed to happen," she wrote. "America was founded as a Christian nation, and I believe our government should reflect that truth, not drift further from it." Initially, Miller misidentified the man, Giani Surinder Singh of the Gurdwara South Jersey Sikh Society, as Muslim. Her X account later edited the post to correctly describe him as Sikh before deleting the comment entirely. Muslims are adherents to Islam. Sikhism is a different religion, the fifth largest in the world. It was founded in the Punjab region of South Asia. There are roughly 750,000 Sikhs in the United States, according to the Sikh Coalition. A spokesperson for Miller did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Miller's remarks swiftly prompted backlash from Democrats and Republicans. "A Sikh prayer on the House floor--followed by a Christian prayer one week and a Jewish prayer the next--doesn't violate the Constitution, offend my Catholic faith, or throttle my support for Israel," wrote Rep. Nick LaLota, R-New York, on X. "Live and let live." Rep. David Valadao, R-California, also said he was "troubled" by Miller's post. Democratic leadership denounced Miller's comments, too. "It's deeply troubling that such an ignorant and hateful extremist is serving in the United States Congress," Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wrote on X. "That would be you, Mary." Zachary Schermele is an education reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at zschermele@ Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and Bluesky at @
The National
07-06-2025
- Politics
- The National
Republican removes social media post criticising Sikh congressional prayer
Republican Congresswoman Mary Miller is facing criticism after she said it was 'troubling' that a Muslim led the morning prayer in US Congress, and then changed her social media post once she learnt that it was a Sikh who had spoken. 'America was founded as a Christian nation, and I believe our government should reflect that truth,' she wrote in her social media post on X on Friday. The representative later removed her post after being admonished by both her Democratic and Republican colleagues. 'Mary, you're a racist, bigoted, disgusting, and shameful person, you don't deserve to represent anyone in public office,' wrote Democratic Representative Maxwell Frost. The man who led the prayer, Giani Surinder Singh of the Gurdwara South Jersey Sikh Society, was invited to be the morning guest chaplain by Republican Representative Jeff Van Drew, according to Politico. Republican Representative David Valadao took Ms Miller to task for her post. 'I'm troubled by my colleague's remarks about this morning's Sikh prayer, which have since been deleted,' he wrote on X. 'Religious freedom is one of our nation's founding principles, and I started the American Sikh Congressional Caucus to draw attention to this very issue and work towards religious tolerance for all.' Representative Miller's comments, which were also widely considered to be Islamophobic, came on the first day of Eid Al Adha, one of the most important holidays of Islam.
Daily Mail
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Congresswoman's outrageous Muslim slur that has enraged everyone in DC
A Republican congresswoman is under fire after she misidentified a Sikh religious leader as Muslim and declared he should never have been allowed to deliver the House's morning prayer. Rep. Mary Miller (R-Illinois), a far-right lawmaker with a history of inflammatory remarks, drew immediate condemnation from both sides of the aisle after the shocking social media post on Friday. Miller claimed it was 'deeply troubling' for a non-Christian to lead the prayer and falsely stated the United States was founded as a Christian nation. The backlash was swift, and within hours, Miller had deleted the post without explanation. Leaders in both parties slammed her remarks as ignorant, bigoted, and fundamentally un-American. The controversy began after Miller misidentified Giani Surinder Singh, a Sikh religious leader from New Jersey, as a Muslim declaring on X that he 'should have never been allowed' to lead the House of Representatives' morning prayer. Even worse, she invoked a debunked claim that America was 'founded as a Christian nation' and demanded the government 'reflect that truth.' Her comments, posted in the early morning hours, were later edited and saw her replacing 'Muslim' with 'Sikh', before ultimately being hastily deleted altogether. Miller later edited her tweet which saw her replacing 'Muslim' with 'Sikh', before ultimately being hastily deleted altogether But the damage was done and Miller was condemned with a ferocity rarely seen in the capital's often polarized chambers. 'It's deeply troubling that such an ignorant and hateful extremist is serving in the United States Congress. That would be you, Mary,' House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York) blasted on X, leading a chorus of denunciations that crossed party lines. Rep. Nick LaLota (R-New York), one of the first Republicans to speak out, didn't mince words. 'A Sikh prayer on the House floor doesn't violate the Constitution, offend my Catholic faith, or throttle my support for Israel,' he posted. 'Live and let live.' LaLota later expanded: 'While our nation's founding was indeed shaped by Judeo-Christian values, the First Amendment unequivocally guarantees that our government remains neutral toward all religions.' Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-New Jersey), who invited Singh to offer the prayer, stood firmly behind his guest. 'As a Catholic, I take my faith seriously and I also believe part of being American is respecting other people's faiths too,' Van Drew said in a statement. 'The Sikh community is peaceful, generous, and deeply rooted in family and service - values we should all appreciate, no matter our religion.' Democrat Rep. Grace Meng (D-New York) was fuming at Miller's actions Democrats were no less scathing. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-New Jersey) wrote: 'It's deeply troubling that someone with such contempt for religious freedom is allowed to serve in this body.' 'What's deeply disturbing is the blatant ignorance and anti-Sikh, anti-Muslim xenophobia coming from my colleague across the aisle,' Rep. Grace Meng (D-New York) fumed, adding, 'The tweet may have been deleted, but we still have the receipts.' Rep. Jared Huffman (D-California) couldn't resist a biting historical jab: 'I often say that I serve in Congress with some of the greatest minds of the 18th century. With Miller, I may need to take it back a few more centuries.' The uproar extended far beyond Capitol Hill as civil rights groups, religious organizations and advocacy coalitions piled on. The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) issued a blistering statement accusing Miller of 'anti-Sikh and anti-Muslim bigotry.' 'Sikhs and Muslims practice two separate and distinct religions, and conflating the two based on how someone looks is not only ignorant but also racist,' the group said. The Sikh Coalition demanded a formal apology, with Executive Director Harman Singh declaring: 'Congresswoman Miller should apologize for her remarks - to both the Sikh and Muslim communities, because no one should be targeted on the basis of their identity.' Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-New Jersey) wrote: 'It's deeply troubling that someone with such contempt for religious freedom is allowed to serve in this body.' Rep. Jared Huffman (D-California) couldn't resist a biting historical jab House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York) blasted Miller on X, leading to a chorus of denunciations that crossed party lines The Muslim Public Affairs Council echoed the call. 'We were intentionally founded as a nation of all faiths,' said Haris Tarin, the group's vice president. 'Apparently she must have forgotten about the First Amendment in this country.' Even the Hindu American Foundation weighed in, lambasting Miller's comments as 'racist, xenophobic, and plainly un-American.' For Miller, this was not a first offense. Her political career has been punctuated by repeated incendiary remarks. In 2021, she faced fierce criticism for stating, 'Hitler was right on one thing: Whoever has the youth has the future,' a comment for which she later apologized. In 2022, at a Trump rally celebrating the fall of Roe v. Wade, Miller raised eyebrows again when she declared it a 'victory for white life,' a gaffe her office attributed to a misread of prepared remarks. Despite Miller's claims, the United States was not founded as a Christian nation. The First Amendment expressly prohibits any establishment of religion, safeguarding the rights of all faiths - or none at all. Article VI of the Constitution further enshrines this principle, stating: 'No religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.' The tradition of opening House sessions with prayer dates back centuries, with faith leaders from a wide array of religious backgrounds - including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism - offering invocations. Giani Surinder Singh, the man at the center of this controversy, was praised by Van Drew for embodying American values through his 'peace, humility, and service toward all.'
CNN
06-06-2025
- Politics
- CNN
GOP congresswoman faces bipartisan criticism for deleted post about Sikh guest chaplain
Republican Rep. Mary Miller is facing bipartisan criticism over a now-deleted social media post in which she called it 'deeply troubling' that a Sikh delivered the morning prayer on the US House floor. Giani Surinder Singh – a member of the Gurudwara South Jersey Sikh Society in Vineland, New Jersey – was introduced as the guest chaplain on Friday morning and delivered the House prayer. Miller later posted on X, saying, 'it's deeply troubling that a Sikh was allowed to lead prayer' in the House. That post has now been deleted. 'This should have never been allowed to happen. America was founded as a Christian nation, and I believe our government should reflect that truth, not drift further from it,' the Illinois Republican wrote. The congresswoman had initially referred to Singh as a 'Muslim,' in an X post that was also later deleted, according to a screenshot posted by Politico reporter Nicholas Wu. CNN has reached out to Miller's office for comment and to ask why the post was deleted. CNN also reached out to the Gurudwara South Jersey Sikh Society to request comment. The House has historically welcomed guest chaplains from a variety of different faiths. Miller's post drew pushback from Democrats and Republicans. Posting on X, GOP Rep. David Valadao of California said he's 'troubled by my colleague's remarks.' 'Throughout the country—and in the Central Valley— Sikh-Americans are valued and respected members of our communities, yet they continue to face harassment and discrimination,' Valadao said. GOP Rep. Nick LaLota of New York wrote on X, 'A Sikh prayer on the House floor—followed by a Christian prayer one week and a Jewish prayer the next—doesn't violate the Constitution, offend my Catholic faith, or throttle my support for Israel. Live and let live.' House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries posted on X, 'It's deeply troubling that such an ignorant and hateful extremist is serving in the United States Congress. That would be you, Mary.' The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus condemned Miller's comments. 'Sikhs and Muslims practice two separate and distinct religions, and conflating the two based on how someone looks is not only ignorant but also racist,' the caucus, whose members are all Democrats, said in a statement posted to X.
CNN
06-06-2025
- Politics
- CNN
GOP congresswoman faces bipartisan criticism for deleted post about Sikh guest chaplain
Republican Rep. Mary Miller is facing bipartisan criticism over a now-deleted social media post in which she called it 'deeply troubling' that a Sikh delivered the morning prayer on the US House floor. Giani Surinder Singh – a member of the Gurudwara South Jersey Sikh Society in Vineland, New Jersey – was introduced as the guest chaplain on Friday morning and delivered the House prayer. Miller later posted on X, saying, 'it's deeply troubling that a Sikh was allowed to lead prayer' in the House. That post has now been deleted. 'This should have never been allowed to happen. America was founded as a Christian nation, and I believe our government should reflect that truth, not drift further from it,' the Illinois Republican wrote. The congresswoman had initially referred to Singh as a 'Muslim,' in an X post that was also later deleted, according to a screenshot posted by Politico reporter Nicholas Wu. CNN has reached out to Miller's office for comment and to ask why the post was deleted. CNN also reached out to the Gurudwara South Jersey Sikh Society to request comment. The House has historically welcomed guest chaplains from a variety of different faiths. Miller's post drew pushback from Democrats and Republicans. Posting on X, GOP Rep. David Valadao of California said he's 'troubled by my colleague's remarks.' 'Throughout the country—and in the Central Valley— Sikh-Americans are valued and respected members of our communities, yet they continue to face harassment and discrimination,' Valadao said. GOP Rep. Nick LaLota of New York wrote on X, 'A Sikh prayer on the House floor—followed by a Christian prayer one week and a Jewish prayer the next—doesn't violate the Constitution, offend my Catholic faith, or throttle my support for Israel. Live and let live.' House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries posted on X, 'It's deeply troubling that such an ignorant and hateful extremist is serving in the United States Congress. That would be you, Mary.' The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus condemned Miller's comments. 'Sikhs and Muslims practice two separate and distinct religions, and conflating the two based on how someone looks is not only ignorant but also racist,' the caucus, whose members are all Democrats, said in a statement posted to X.
