Sikh Republican Faces Backlash After Leading Prayers At Party Convention

Sikh Republican Harmeet Dhillon delivered a prayer at the Republican National Convention (RNC) on Monday. Ms Dhillon, a religious-liberty lawyer and former Donald Trump campaign adviser, told the Milwaukee audience that she comes from a family of Sikh immigrants. She shared a prayer from her faith tradition, which translates to, “This body and soul are yours. You are our mother and father, and we are your children. In your grace and through your benevolence, we experience peace and happiness!” 

She then thanked God for protecting Donald Trump, who was shot at on Sunday at a Pennsylvania rally. She said, “We thank you, dear God, for protecting his life.”

However, some conservative Christians on X criticised Ms Dhillon’s prayer, saying it was “unacceptable” and that she was praying to a “foreign god.” 

ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE!! I have nothing but respect for Harmeet Dhillon but fire whoever invited her to pray to a foreign god, there is only one true God we pray to and his name is not whatever she said. His name is YAHWEH and his only begotten Son is Jesus Christ pic.twitter.com/Vxiq4NSZdi

— George (@BehizyTweets) July 16, 2024

Ms Dhillon responded by tweeting that she was “blocking quite a few people”, and that the majority of the response to her prayer had been positive. 

Blocking quite a few people…

— Harmeet K. Dhillon (@pnjaban) July 16, 2024

Ms Dhillon told The Post, “Overall, while the voices of haters can be amplified artificially online, I would say the vast majority of the response to my prayer by mainstream Republicans has been positive, and I’m grateful for that.”

She considers herself an ally to people of all religions in the US. She believes that Sikhs, Jews, and Christians all pray to the same God. She stated, “We believe that there is one God.”

As a lawyer, Ms Dhillon has advocated for the religious rights of all Americans. She has defended Sikhs against discrimination and supported doctors and pharmacists who refuse to perform abortions due to their religious beliefs. Ms Dhillon credits her Sikh faith for inspiring her advocacy work. She says, “My faith teaches me to give back to my community and to be humble.”