Sikh Prayer at RNC 7-26-2016

26, July 2016                        Sikh Prayer at RNC

As a practicing Sikh, I was profoundly disappointed to hear a Sikh, Harmeet Kaur Dhillon, vice-chair of the California Republican Party offer a Sikh prayer at the Republican National Convention. It is sad to see Dhillon embrace the failed policies of Donald Trump. In 2004 she actively supported the election of President George W. Bush – one of the worst president’s in US history that even Trump acknowledges. Remember it was Bush/Cheney that aggressively promoted torture and rendition – the antithesis of Sikh teachings.

Donald Trump epitomizes all that practicing Sikhs oppose, namely insatiable greed, dishonesty (in his business practices), an inflated ego, misogyny, and a gross intolerance of people of other faiths. Republicans of Trump’s ilk are both anti-Christ and anti-Sikh. Sikhism teaches equality of all people. Sikhism preaches that people of different races, religions, and sexes are all equal in the eyes of God. Sikhism teaches the full equality of men and women. Sikhism emphasizes daily devotion to the remembrance of God. Sikhism teaches religious freedom. All people have the right to follow their own path to God without condemnation or coercion from others. Sikhism emphasizes a high moral and ethical life. Sikhism teaches service to others. The primary task in life is to help the poor, needy, and oppressed. Sikhs have a long heritage of speaking out against injustice and for standing up for the defenseless. The word Sikh means disciple or student. Sikhs are the disciples of God.