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GOP Congresswoman Blasts Anti-Muslim Tweet at Sikh Chaplain
By Romen Basu Borsellino | 06 Jun, 2025
In a throwback to post-9/11 era racism, Rep. Mary Miller’s failed attempt to denigrate Islam turns her into a laughingstock.
On Friday morning, Republican Congresswoman Mary Miller of Illinois got on Twitter (officially called X) to spread a little end-of-the work-week bigotry. She posted:
“It’s deeply troubling that a Muslim was allowed to lead a prayer in the House of Representatives this morning. This should never have been allowed to happen. America was founded as a Christian nation,” she continued. “I believe our government should reflect that.”
Her tweet was accompanied by a photo of Giani Surinder Singh, a turbaned religious leader who was invited by Miller’s Republican colleague Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey to serve as the morning's Guest Chaplain.
There was, however, one particularly glaring issue with Miller’s bigotry (aside from, of course, all of it): Giana Surinder Singh isn’t Muslim. He’s Sikh.
To help alleviate some of the Congresswoman’s confusion: Sikhism is the world’s fifth largest religion. There are over 25 million Sikhs worldwide, more than half a million of whom reside in the US. Sikhism originated in India’s Punjab region.
At a time when everyone seems to be craving nostalgia — the band Oasis is touring and a sequel to the film Happy Gilmore releases next month — the Congresswoman’s dig evokes the type of Sikh/Muslim confusion that we really haven’t seen as much of since the immediate aftermath of September 11, 2001.
Suffice it to say, I was deeply disappointed by the Congresswoman’s remarks.
I would have expected any elected official to pay better attention to detail whether that’s, say, reading the fine-print in the legislation they’re voting on or correctly identifying the major world religion they’re trying to denigrate.
To make it perfectly clear, her tweet would have been equally abhorrent whether it was directed at a Sikh or a Muslim (or a Jew or a Mormon of literally any religion). But as a Sikh myself, I must admit that I prefer when our bullies do at least the bare minimum amount of research.
To make matters even more insulting, today happens to be Eid al-Adha, a major Islamic holiday during which observants celebrate a “period of communal enjoyment.” Though it’s hard to imagine anything bringing greater enjoyment to the community than watching an Islamophobe publicly humiliate herself.
Miller eventually edited the tweet to correctly identify the man as Sikh. After receiving blowback from her colleagues in both parties, she deleted it entirely.
As a Sikh myself, I must admit that I prefer when our bullies do at least the bare minimum amount of research.
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