Controversy over Sikh prayer in Congress offers opportunity to consider religious plurality in America
June 19, 2025
The Sikh community has expressed deep concern over the reaction of one member of Congress to the opening prayer by Giani Surinder Singh on June 6. In an X social media post, since deleted, Congress member Mary Miller of Illinois said it was “deeply troubling” for a Sikh to lead prayer in the House of Representatives, because the United States was founded as a “Christian nation.” Rep. Miller originally identified the Sikh clergy leader as a Muslim.
Harman Singh, executive director of the Sikh Coalition, said in a statement, “Such hateful rhetoric is not new to our community; it is as tired as it is unacceptable. Despite this kind of bigotry, Sikhs will not be deterred from participating in public or civic life. Our community has a long and storied history in Illinois, including in the district that Congresswoman Miller represents.
“To be clear, deleting the tweet is not enough. 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. We also urge all of her colleagues to reject this sentiment and reassert their commitment to welcoming and including individuals of all faiths from across our diverse society in the halls of Congress.
“In each Sikh prayer, we pray for “sarbat da bhalla,” the wellbeing of all. We encourage Congresswoman Miller to learn this lesson from her Sikh constituents and would be happy to facilitate these conversations.”
Rep. Jefferson Van Drew, who invited Giani Surinder Singh to offer the morning prayer, told the New Jersey Globe that “as a Catholic, I take my faith seriously and I also believe part of being American is respecting other people’s faiths too. I was proud to invite a Sikh chaplain to open the House with prayer this morning. The Sikh community is peaceful, generous, and deeply rooted in family and service, values we should all appreciate, no matter our religion. What makes America special is that we can honor different these traditions while staying true to our own. I’ll always stand for that kind of mutual respect.”
Giani Surinder Singh, leader of the Gurdwara South Jersey Sikh Center in Vineland, is the second Sikh to deliver the opening prayer in Congress. While similar objections have been made against Muslim and Hindu-led prayers, they have become accepted as part of the historic tradition of religious pluralism in America.
Both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives begin each day’s proceedings with prayer, a tradition that dates back to the first Congress. The designated chaplain for each branch of Congress delivers the prayer, but guest chaplains may be invited. Most prayers represent invocations from the Christian tradition, but gradually the prayer has represented the growing religious diversity of the country.
“Our Founding Fathers created this country on the basis of religious pluralism,” notes Hady Amr, a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, in his essay, “Religious Pluralism is an American Tradition.” “Thomas Jefferson wrote, ‘I never attempted to make a convert, nor wished to change another’s creed. I have judged others’ religions by their lives, for it is from our lives and not our words that our religions must be read.”
Dennis Archambault
Interfaith Leadership Council Board of Directors
