Did she really convert? Is Nikki Haley a Sikh?

Did she really convert? Is Nikki Haley a Sikh?

Did she really convert? Is Nikki Haley a Sikh?

Sangat ji forgive me!

I was not going to post any more stories about Nikky Haley after two days of reading and posting, because, frankly I did not see how it might appeal to the broader readership of SPN. However, the story today, Sunday, is all over every news site. Now it seems the story has intrigued the India media, and rupeenews.com has posted this story. Its reach seems to have gone beyond the state of South Carolina and the US political scene. So here goes!


South Carolina’s Sarah Palin-approved Republican primary candidate for governor, Nikki Haley, seems to be trying to highlight her belief in Jesus while downplaying the Sikh religion of her family in an effort to overcome damaging allegations of extramarital affairs and punishing attacks from her political foes. On Wednesday, a state lobbyist who had been attached to a rival political campaign became the second man to claim that he had a tryst with the 38-year-old Haley, while a longtime Republican state senator, Jake Knotts, who supports Haley rival Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, called Haley a “raghead.”

Knotts later said the reference (which he also used about President Obama) was “intended in jest.” Knotts is likely to survive the kerfuffle over his slur, however, while Haley’s political future is very much in doubt.

Haley, a mother of two who has been married for 13 years, has strongly denied the adultery allegations but the damage they have done to her poll numbers may explain why Haley has begun to massage her public profile to put a greater emphasis on her Christian faith and, it seems, to downplay her Sikh background.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/people-and-opinion/30849-did-she-really-convert-nikki-haley.html

Haley, a state representative, was born in South Carolina to Sikh immigrants from India. Sikhism, which is now the fifth-largest religion in the world, originated in 15th century India, in the Punjab region. Like many Eastern religions, it stresses a philosophical and meditative approach to religious practice and does not promote the idea of a personal God.

Haley converted to Christianity when she was 24 — she is a Methodist — but as CBN’s David Brody shows in a detailed accounting of Haley’s religious makeover, until recently she stressed her Sikh roots and even the fact that she still attended both a Methodist church and a Sikh temple.

Her 2004 campaign for the legislature, for example, played up her Sikh upbringing, as Brody notes, saying that “Nikki was proudly raised with her Indian traditions and her husband, Michael, was brought up in the Methodist faith” — no mention of her Christianity. Brody also pointed out that newspapers at the time ran headlines such as the one declaring Haley was “The First Member Of The Sikh Religion To Join A State Legislature In The United States.”

These days, Nikki Haley is making no mention of her Sikh religious upbringing, noting only that her parents are Indian-born. And Brody also discovered that Haley’s official website recently modified its description of her religious beliefs to reflect a more explicit and enthusiastic embrace of Christianity.

In April, this is how Haley’s website answered the question about whether she is a Christian — something she has often had to do given her background, much as Obama did:

Truth: Nikki is a Christian. In her words: “I believe in the power and grace of Almighty God. I know, and have truly experienced, that with Him all things are possible. I have looked to Him for leadership throughout my career and will continue to do so as governor.”
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=30849

As of this month, the item has been tweaked and now says:
Truth: In Nikki’s words: “My faith in Christ has a profound impact on my daily life and I look to Him for guidance with every decision I make. God has blessed my family in so many ways and my faith in the Lord gives me great strength on a daily basis. Being a Christian is not about words, but about living for Christ every day.”

Brody asked Haley spokesman Tim Pearson about the shift in emphasis but said Pearson didn’t answer directly. He said only that Haley “attends Sikh services once or twice a year in respect for her family.”

“Like millions of others, she honors her mother and her father and has great respect for their faith and the way that she was raised,” Pearson said. “Her faith in Christ guides her throughout her personal, professional, and public life, just as it has for many years.”

Whether such professions of faith can help protect Haley against the adultery allegations — and allow her to overcome three rivals for the Republican nomination in next Tuesday’s primary — is uncertain. She got a big boost from the Palin endorsement, but polls show her ratings have since fallen off.

On Thursday, she again denied the adultery reports and told a Columbia radio station that if she were elected governor and charges of adultery were proved she would resign the office — which would at least be an improvement on the track record of the man she hopes to replace, Mark Sanford. Politics Daily


In all fairness, this is the most thoughtful and detailed analysis I have read in 3 days, and it gives us some issues to ponder and discuss that are relevant to Sikhs and Sikhism.

 
Do share your immediate thoughts or reactions on this issue? We value your views! Login Now! or Sign Up Today! to share your views with us.. Gurfateh!

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After reading about nikki hailey and bobby jindal I am fully convinced that minorities have to give up their religion,language culture to succeed in politics.USA which consider itself champoion of religious freedom cannot accept hindu or sikh politicians who could become
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=30849
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=30849
governers.I don't understand with what face people criticise hindu majority of India for lack of tolerance against minorities when USA which is a country much more advanced than India cannot accept leaders from minority religions.

As far Nikki hailey is concerned when she is saying that she christian then who are we to say whether she is christian or not

Cool down Kanwardeep Singh ji

From this story you would think that the entire US and all of its political machinery are against minorities, from minority religions. Not the case.

The background on this, if I may bore everyone, comes from the political process as it is set up.

Right now the state of South Carolina is in its primary election season. That means that people within all parties, primarily Republican and Democratic, are having elections within the party to see who will run for various positions for their party. The winners become the nominees for the general election.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=30849

South Carolina, a former slave state, and one of the most conservative states in the US is heavily populated with extremely conservative, right-wing, Christian evangelical and fundamentalist voters. The state curiously is also pulling apart politically because of demographic and economic changes. So at this time, the electorate is divided between conservatives and liberals.

At this point in time, the Republican party is experiencing this exact problem - will the extreme right or the more moderate elements select extremely conservative or moderate individuals for the party nominees?

The Democratic Party is doing the same thing at the same time.

Once this is over, the nominees will run against each other.

The debate you are reading about was initiated by the extreme right within the Republican Party -- not at all representative of all of the voters in South Carolina, nor in the US. Why so? Why is this happening? Because there is an unwritten rule in American politics, as follows:

During a primary, appeal to the base (the people who will vote you as a party-nominee). During a general election, appeal to the center (the people who will get you elected).

Senator Knotts is contesting the way he is because he thinks that he represents the base of the Republican party in SC.

He is wrong. Because already the Republican party in South Carolina has condemned him and has thrown its weight behind Nikki Haley.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=30849

Give me a minute and I will find a link on this point.

S.C. Republicans condemn 'raghead' comment

South Carolina Republicans were quick Thursday evening to condemn the remarks of a prominent Republican State Senator, Jake Knotts, who referred to a gubernatorial candidate as a "raghead" on an online political show today. [Knotts also referred to President Obama with the same term.]

Knotts, a foe of Governor Mark Sanford and his protege, State Rep. Nikki Haley, made the remark of Haley on the local webcast Pub Politics.

Haley was born a Sikh, and the slur can refer to Arabs, Muslims, or those who -- like Sikh men -- wear turbans. She is a convert to Christianity.

The video is not currently available.

“The South Carolina Republican Party strongly condemns any use of racial or religious slurs. Senator Knotts should apologize for his inappropriate comments, so that we can put this unfortunate incident behind us and focus on issues important to moving our state forward," said Republican Party Chair Karen Floyd in a statement.

Said Haley spokesman Tim Pearson:

“Jake Knotts represents all that is wrong with South Carolina politics. He’s an embarrassment to our state and to the Republican Party. South Carolina is so much better than this, and the people of our state will make that quite clear next Tuesday.”

UPDATE: The State, quoting people who watched the show, quotes Knotts as saying:
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=30849
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=30849

“We already got one raghead in the White House, we don’t need a raghead in the governor’s mansion."

UPDATE: The State's John O'Connor quotes a partial apology from Knotts: "I still believe Ms. Haley is pretending to be someone she is not, much as Obama did, but I apologize to both for an unintended slur."

I am not saying america is against minorities .It can provide them all the religious freedom
but when it comes to somethings like politics then they may not like them to rule over them even if they are better than their co religionist born politicians.

Is it not true that Obama to have to convince american public that he is christian when someone mentioned that his full name is barrack hussain Obama?

Kanwardeep Singh ji

It is true that Obama had to convince SOME OF THE AMERICAN PUBLIC that he is a christian.

One slice of the American electorate does not define the electorate at large, though the media can make it seem that it does.

The fact is he won the presidential election. He did not win because of his religion. He won on his health care platform and commitment to the environment and economic policies. His ratings are now slipping but they are not slipping because of religion. They are slipping because of Iraq, Afghanistan, the economy and the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

That second article that I posted is pretty good at explaining how primary election politics work in the US.

I agree that he won election not because of his religion.Infact he can't only win it on the basis of religion because all candidates are christians but isn't it the same type of mentality which all countries have.In India to be a chief minister of Punjab you must be jatt sikh,to be a chief of kashmir you must be a muslim and for rest of India you must be of that region with hindu.So what is difference between america and India? In order to win election you have to change your religion and prove to public that you are christian.

As far nikki hailey is concerned I am sorry to say that no issue related to her should be discussed on sikh forums just because she was born sikh.She just sold her sikh faith for political success so their should be no discussion about it unless she claims herself that she is sikh

Apparently the population of South Carolina saw through the good ole boy smear tactics used against Mrs Haley and have voted her in by a large majority.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=30849
Old politicians like Jake Knotts and his ilk have been like kingsnakes,devouring their viper enemies with immunity. But what happens when a Kingsnake takes on a Cobra.
See for yourselves.

Nikki Haley for the record converted to the Methodist religion at the age of 24. Was she involved in politics at that time?