Trump's formal nomination began with 'Sikh Ardaas'

Harmeet Dhillon, soon to be the Republican National Committeewoman from California, was for many in the convention crowd an unexpected choice to lead the opening prayer on the second night.

The 2016 Republican National Convention

Source: Getty Images

Donald Trump was officially nominated as the Republican candidate for the US Presidential election on Tuesday.

The Republican National Convention stood out with an Indian-origin soon-to-be-Republican Committeewoman Harmeet Dhillon kicking off the convention with a Sikh prayer.
Taking the stage just minutes before Senator Jeff Sessions from Alabama officially nominated Donald Trump as party;s candidate for president, Ms Dhillon, delivered the 'Ardaas' in Punjabi and then explained its meaning to the attending delegates.

After the pledge of allegiance and the national anthem, Ms Dhillon took the stage and explained that it was Sikh custom to wear a headscarf for the traditional prayer.

The social media has been abuzz with Ms. Dhillon who describes herself as a 'serious knitter, sailor, hiker, yarntrepreneur and a trial lawyer, performing the Sikh prayer at the RNC.
But, not everyone is impressed and many are expressing their disapproval of Donald Trump and his policies.
"I never thought I'd see the day that would happen," one young attendee told SBS. "Makes me proud of my party actually," he said.

"I think it's great, it shows the Republican Party truly has a big tent, but I'm sure there were a lot of people who might have been unhappy with it," a Texan attendee told SBS.

The selection was unexpected for many in the room, with presumptive nominee Donald Trump making headlines for strong rhetoric on immigration.

His campaign pledges include a promise to build a wall between the USA and Mexico and place a ban on Muslim immigration - policies which many Republicans attending the conventions quietly disagree with.

The Trump campaign appears to be softening its rhetoric on an outright ban, instead referring to the policy 'extreme vetting' on immigrants from certain 'territories'.


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2 min read
Published 20 July 2016 11:35am
Updated 12 August 2022 4:02pm
By Shamsher Kainth, Ben Winsor
Source: SBS News

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