GOP congresswoman condemns New Jersey Sikh man for leading prayer in Congress

Alfred Lubrano, The Philadelphia Inquirer on Jun 6, 2025

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After leading the U.S. House in a prayer with an entreaty to God to help people “remember that we belong to one family” on Friday, a Sikh man from South Jersey was the target of a highly critical social media post by U.S. Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., who found the participation by a non-Christian “deeply troubling.”

In a post that’s been taken down, she wrote on X that the man “should never have been allowed” to lead the prayer, according to Politico. She called for Congress to uphold the “truth” that “America was founded as a Christian nation.”

Miller initially misidentified the man, Giani Surinder Singh of the South Jersey Sikh Society in Vineland, Cumberland County, as Muslim, according to Politico.

Rep. Jeff Van Drew, a Republican who represents South Jersey, had invited Singh to lead the prayer before the House had been called to order, part of congressional tradition.

Neither Van Drew nor the Sikh Society could be reached for comment Friday afternoon. Singh also could not be reached.

After Singh intoned that mankind’s purpose is “to love one another and create a more peaceful world,” Van Drew said on the House floor, “Day after day, year after year, he leads not just with words, but with example, with peace, with humility, with service towards all.

“These are not just Sikh values. They are American values.”

In a statement to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Harman Singh, executive director of the Sikh Coalition, said Miller should apologize for her “bigotry.”

“Such hateful rhetoric is not new to our community; it is as tired as it is unacceptable,” Singh said. “Despite this kind of bigotry, Sikhs will not be deterred from participating in public or civic life.

“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.”

According to the Coalition website, the Sikh faith, known as Sikhism, was founded just more than 500 years ago in the Punjab region of South Asia. There are more than 25 million Sikhs around the world, which makes Sikhism the world’s fifth-largest religion.