During the two years that our founding editor Will Folks worked under then-S.C. Rep. Nikki Haley he and the future governor of the Palmetto state discussed her religious views on precisely two occasions.
The first was a general discussion of her conversion that took place shortly after he began advising her in 2007. The second was a more specific conservation that took place several months later.
That conversation was the result of a local controversy involving Haley’s sister Simran Singh – a spiritual guru whose transcendental antics frequently gave Haley political heartburn.
Haley’s conversion from Sikhism to Christianity is generating some renewed attention in the wake of her being named “Person of the Year” by India Abroad, a prominent Indian-American weekly newspaper based in New York City.
According to one Indian-American writer, the selection of Haley for this award was “ironic” because “there’s nothing remotely alluring about Haley to a majority of Indian-Americans.”
Sunil Adam, editor of the New India Times, says that Haley’s emergence on the political scene is a result of her “projecting herself as an ultra conservative politician with all the trappings of a tax-cutting, Bible-thumping, evolution-denying, creation-trusting, union-baiting, gay-bashing limited government protagonist.”
“Haley, who deftly played up her Christian faith during the campaign, perhaps, gets a pass because she was originally Sikh rather than Hindu,” Adam writes. “A majority of Indian-Americans, who come from small towns in India and belong to lower-middle-class conservative Hindu families, tend to be even more conscious of their religious, cultural and caste identities than average Indians back in India.”
Adam adds that Haley is “lucky not to be resented for her conversion to the Christian faith,” contrasting her reception among Indian-Americans to the treatment received by Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal.
“Jindal is widely, if not necessarily openly, ridiculed by Indian-Americans for flaunting his born-again Christian credentials,” he writes.
(To read Adam’s article in its entirety, click here).
Haley’s conversion has also been openly mocked by Das Racist, a Brooklyn-based hip hop group with Sikh roots.
Haley claims that she converted to the Christian faith when she married her husband Michael in 1996 – although she has remained intimately involved with the Midlands’ largest Sikh temple. In fact, it is widely believed that Haley ran the books for the temple on behalf of her father, Ajit S. Randhawa.
(Here are some pictures of Haley attending a wedding at the temple last year).
Haley’s gubernatorial victory was celebrated in India – with many Punjabis urging her to come to her parents’ homeland as soon as possible in order to “pay obeisance” at the holy Sikh temple of Harmandar Sahib.
For Sikhs, paying obeisance involves making a pilgrimage to the sanctum sanctorum of the “Golden Temple.” Before paying obeisance in the temple, however, devotees must take a holy dip in the water pond of Temple at the marbled periphery – with the understanding that this holy dip washes away “all their bad deeds of previous births.”
No clue how long such a dip might take Haley given her extensive misdeeds in this birth.
So … will Haley make the pilgrimage? According to Meera Shankar – India’s ambassador to the United States – Haley has expressed an interest in traveling to her parents’ homeland.
Specifically, she “has indicated an interest in perhaps going (to India) sometime later this year in the fall,” Shankar said, but added that “these (plans) are yet to crystallize fully.”
Obviously, Haley’s religion itself is of no consequence to us. There is no Sikh or Methodist way to reduce government, just as there is no gay or straight way to lower taxes. Our problem with Haley isn’t that her conversion is a farce – it’s that her professed political ideology is.
Anyway, Haley’s “conversion of convenience” remains yet another narrative to keep an eye on …
***
70 comments
Christian? What a joke.
She promised to take me to India, but told me I might not be coming back. Remember, she said, “A promise made is a promise kept”. There’s also that thing about me and Soura. Just don’t know.
“No clue how long such a dip might take Haley given her extensive misdeeds in ***this*** birth.”
ROFLing
” Haley’s conversion Questioned”
The article you refer to does not say so, but your headline does.
Well did she convert BEFORE she was in politics when she married her husband? So where is the question of convenience?
Golden Temple is visited by people of all religions including such prominent personalities like, Queen Elizabeth, Canadian Prime Minister Harper. If Haley who has Sikh roots makes a pilgrimage there, what is the big deal. In fact if she does not, when she visits India, she should be accused political convenience and cowardice.
Besides the bible thumping fundamentalists in south, no one cares about these personal/private choices of people.
I don’t care if you’re Sikh, Christian, or Agnostic. I DO care when you lie about it or use it for personal gain.
She didn’t contribute very much of her largess to the church she belongs to according to her tax returns.
“there’s nothing remotely alluring about Haley to a majority of Indian-Americans.”
1. She claims to be a methodist.
2. She shaves everything but her big head.
3. She cooked the book at her former temple.
4. She bangs political cronies at will.
5. She lies to cover previous lies.
6. She punishes those who not lay wealth at her feet.
7. She displays boxes of worthless email documents as evidence.
8. She delays required disclosures till the last second, of the last minute, of the last day of the deadline.
The list goes on…….what is there not to like?
Oh man, a double link to the new book. This is a great hit piece. It sucks to be Nikki.
being named “Person of the Year” by India Abroad……this will come in handy when Nikki & I share the front page of the New York Post.
Which is worse…The Al-Gore Sr. Bigots of 60 years ago…????….Or the Christian Bashing Bigots of today???
I don’t know what happened 60 years ago, I was not here. But I do know the Christian Bashing Bigots of today are pretty hideous human beings….
If you are a liberal…you really need to ask yourself: Was Bigot denouncing only good as a weapon…or is the modern liberal movement, simply a group of Bigots, using Bigotry to bash the Christians you hate?
FRAUD ALERT< FRAUD ALERT
Brought to you by the SC FRAUD ALERT SYSTEM
There are religious people not religious, those who wear their religion on their sleeve and some who never discuss it. There is little difference in most. For the most part, they tend to be fairly good people, honest and forthright.
Having dealt with the Governor personally (work related) I find her to be very hypocritical, dishonest and totally without conscience, really do not feel she is a good person, on any level. It truly is, all about Nikki and her wants, desires and needs. Take her dishonesty and questionable Ethics with Wilbur Smith, Lexington Hospital and now, misleading (lying) to the legislature.
Believe she adheres vehemently to the indian cast system, in which she was raised. We are all foreigners to her, not being Indian or of Indian descent; therefore, we are at the bottom of the Cast. Her wealthy friends, donors and those who can help her ascend upward, are, of course considered, at the top of the cast.
This may exploain her lack of conscience with telling the truth, using people to fulfill her own desires and needs, regardless of who gets hurt, or even destroyed, in the process. She will do anything, use any tool, at her disposal, to achieve her end.
Thereby, she has defrauded many out of their vote, through her dishonesty, abuse of power and position and is able to justify the same internally without remorse.
“Haley has denied Folks’ allegations and he has not provided proof of an affair. He said he does not have a date for release, and his business partner still is seeking a publisher.”
Current stuff from the P&C. Looks like you might need to double down soon and pop something out there. If you contact TMZ or Howard Stern ……….wow.
“he has not provided proof of an affair” by YVONNE WENGER. Ok, Will, apparently this reporter from the P&C needs help. You could feature her in an article……along with the texts, phone records, yada yada
Whew, those two articles in the P&C. Nikki is so fucking full of herself……..bat shit crazy, just like Palin & Bachwoman.
Damn…..Wenger, Hicks, Wooten. An archive search on Puke&Cuming has nothing good to say about you. Time to do features, man, on all of them….Pearson too. Post them on this site and let us review and comment.
Fraud, there have been people who are Indian or of Indian descent who accept the caste system who are nevertheless people of integrity and decency. You may be correct that Haley’s world view is in part shaped by the Indian caste tradition, but it is insufficient in itself to explain her lack of integrity and character.
NO proof?
Just what is “proof” of an affair?
People who saw her car parked late at night in front of his condo?
Nah — she was “working late” with a man she “barely knows.”
Hour after hour of late night cell phone calls?
Nah — she works so hard that she conducts business at 2 am over the cell phone with a man she “barely knows.”
Photos? no — if they ever are released, they are doctored.
Emails? no — she doesnt have to release her public emails from the time she was allegedly involved with Folks. Legislative privilege…
DNA caked boy shorts? Nah — she will not submit to a matching test and doesnt have to.
STD medical records? nah — he got it from some other partner, and her medical records are private thank you very much.
Sworn Affidavit? please — anyone can swear to anything. Plus Larry “didn’t pass” the polygraph according to Mrs. Haley…
Eyewitnesses? They arent talking for fear of losing their new jobs, right Eleanor?
The only “proof” you have is the fact that she hasn’t sued you.
Please correct us if we are wrong.
NIKKI HALEY WORSHIPS THAT WHICH IS STRAIGHT AND STURDY.
SHE WORSHIPS THAT WHICH IS SO HARD A DOG CAN’T GNAW IT AND A CAT CAN’T SCRATCH IT.
SHE WORSHIPS THE THING THAT IS HARDER THAN JAPANESE COMPUTER SCIENCE.
SHE WORSHIPS AT THE ALTAR OF THE RUSTY TROMBONE, THE GREASY TROMBONE AND THE JUMBO TROMBONE.
SHE WORSHIPS THE CARROT, THE CUCUMBER, AND THE BLUE RIBBON ZUCCHINI.
SHE WORSHIPS THE WHACK-A-DOODLE AND THE GERMAN STRUDEL.
SHE WORSHIPS THE JOHNSON OF EVERY TOM, DICK AND HARRY.
MANY ARE THEIR NAMES AND MANY ARE THE MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH OF NOOKIE HALEY.
Admit it, you screwed the pooch when you endorsed her….after all that shit and all you knew.
Looks like the Post and Courier are praising the Queen while burying your ass. Larry is done. Earl clammed shut. You need more book excerpts…………
For Sikhs, paying obeisance involves making a pilgrimage to the sanctum sanctorum of the “Golden Temple.” Before paying obeisance in the temple, however, devotees must take a holy dip in the water pond of Temple at the marbled periphery ”
^^^^This statement is completely untrue. Sikhs don’t believe in “pilgrimages,” nor taking a “holy dip” as some sort of religious requirement.
Kind sir…….Sikh’s do not believe in removing body hair, or having sex outside marriage, that is about it.
Does not matter. Nikki is not a Sikh, she is a Methodist…she may shave anything she wants and does, right Will?
What is this about shaving? Does Nikki not worship natural hair?
What does this have to do with Nikki??? She is no more Indian than my black cat pussy.
Could you please elaborate on the phrase “…transcendental antics?”
She’s a MINNOW: Methodist in Nimrata’s name only…whaa?
Oh snap, John Dubs where you at?
Bottom line: The “EVIDENCE” I’ve seen so far is merely circumstantial….
Not saying there is not more, or that you are lying, but unless you can produce something other than what we’ve seen….She (her team) has pretty much kicked your ass…
You might not like it, but that is how the game is scored…
“Adam adds that Haley is “lucky not to be resented for her conversion to the Christian faith,”
Resented, hell……..the Sikhs don’t want her anymore than the Methodists do. The scank is a tramp.
Sic, get with Larry, Thad, Earl, and Mark. Compare notes………
Sheneen…..you dicked around during the campaign and lost to a loser. What does that make you? Buck up, grow a pair, and take her on……..dude.
Watch out, y’all. The turbanators are gonna get ya.
Love the “Outsourced” characters. Now that the series is cancelled, maybe they can work for Nikki.
Excellent point Big T. Also, you comments earlier about FitsNews missing an opportunity to become a “valid” news blog in the long run is spot on. Many years ago Columbia had an independent newspaper, The Point –its editor was Bret Bursey. He was far left and liberal but his periodical was professional and hard hitting. He gave Gov. Carroll Campbell the fits. You could take everything he printed to the bank.
FitsNews is “the best thing since sliced bread” to just a handful of faithful followers. Mainly a deviant pervert and an old drunk. Both are smart fellers and they give Will Folks just what he needs to keep this site “gritty.” If and when Will’s book comes out the critics will sift through this site with a fine tooth comb and the view from the “outside” looking in will write Will Folks off as nothing more than a shill whose purpose was to discredit Nikki Haley and her family. (she can do this by herself)
Wonder what Will thinks when he is attending the Lutheran Church with his wife and the minister is preaching about “Vengeance is mine, says the Lord”? All in the name of truth will never fly. It is a bad poker hand to challenge eternity with. A true talent typing down the wrong path.
It seems with all her double talk and promise breaking to some of the legislators in her backroom dealing that she might be a compulsive liar.
If that’s the case it wouldn’t surprise me if she “converted” religiously just to “get along” in this state.
Religion is close to mafia status in this state and if you dare tell many of the inhabitants you don’t believe or have a faith outside of Christendom you can count on never being elected or if your in business being discriminated against and not getting as much work….cause that’s how Christians roll.
Hey,it’s time for Post and Courier’s Yvonne Wenger to straight out ask former Charleston Republican Rep. Wallace Scarborough for the Haley/Folks picture he absolutely has!
I heard she is thinking of reverting to Islam!
Ian, how would she “revert” to Islam when she was Sikh, not Muslim, originally? In any case, there is no evidence that Haley has ever followed any religion at all in any meaningful sense.
Who will be the first to Photoshop the cover of Nikki’s forthcoming book to read “Cunt is an Option: My Story”?
“Mainly a deviant pervert and an old drunk.”
You’ve got to hand it to the guy masquerading as MajorC, SnakeMD, and a female human resources staffer.
The blue-nosed bugger can coin a phrase.
Check out “deviant pervert,” for example.
Now, a literate person might see a description like that one as a moronic redundancy — because “pervert” and “deviant” mean the same thing. You only need one of those words to keep from sounding like a fool.
But, no, it’s important to distinguish these nasty “deviant perverts” from the “normal” perverts like MajorC, et al.
MajorC – Quite the retort for a blog nobody reads in your opinion. It says unfair, imbalance……right at the top of every post. Yet, every article is far more “bankable” than the horseshit of the Haley Administration. Get a fucking clue. The pervert and old drunk are merely taking a political disaster and readdressing it in off-color and comical relief. This site is without a doubt, absolutely outstanding on so many levels. Please take your butt buddy Gary and go suck on Tim Pearson’s woefully diseased pecker. And take the reporters of the Pubes and Curry with you.
Thank you Wil, for allowing this comment. The rags of MajorC and Gary do not want discourse, they want the disgraceful status quo to remain shielded from the voters.
Hey, major shit for brains. Name calling are we??? Like perverts give a flying fuck about what you think. Teach Haley how to become a reformed slutty, corrupt politician……..and then get back with us.
Big T – Stand-by. The texts are phone records should be enough to keep Wanger of the Pubes and Curry from such claims against Will. You want photos, DNA, direct admissions from Nikki???? Again, stand-by.
You gotta love MajorC. Trying to fuck with Sic on his own site.
I never use my name for a variety of reasons and like to stay anonymous.
That being said I don’t “double post” under different names to reinforce my viewpoints…I’m pretty sure some do here.
I think simply having the IP address listed with every entry would stop some of that and keep people anonymous.(but show those who are double posting under different names)
Sure, there are ways to beat that…but not without hassle.
I’m pretty sure “Big T” and “Major C” are one and the same…among others.
Oh Gary??? MajorC is all in a flutter again. Perhaps you would oil him down, charge up the vibrating robo-rabbit, and calm his nerves please?
Ah……only one problem, Sock. Many people have access to countless banks of PCs, I’m within walking distance of several for instance. I do agree, however, that Haley supporters Big T, MajorC, Gary, James probably drink from the same cup. The Outsourced characters are probably roommates in a dorm common room or whatever.
Nothing Sic can do…..
What are you saying? All Indians work at the same call center? Is that why we are all sitting together at cafeteria tables with our phones and computers, monitoring manager Nikki?
Rijiv, stop it. Maybe they can block our link to America.
Nikki is not Indian, she is a methodist. We only log-on to meet our daily quotas, please do not block our link. Nikki has experienced men that I can only dream.
Bemused,every child born is a Muslim, if the child were left alone, he/she would worship Allah in his own way, but all children are affected by those things around them, seen or unseen.
The Prophet (PBUH) reported that Allah said, “I created my servants in the right religion but devils made them go astray”. The Prophet (PBUH) also said, “Each child is born in a state of “Fitrah”, then his parents make him a Jew, Christian or a Zoroastrian, the way an animal gives birth to a normal offspring. Have you noticed any that were born mutilated?” (Collected by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim).
So, just as the child submits to the physical laws which Allah has put in nature, his soul also submits naturally to the fact that Allah is his Lord and Creator. But, his parents try to make him follow their own way and the child is not strong enough in the early stages of his life to resist or oppose the will of his parents. The religion which the child follows at this stage is one of custom and upbringing and Allah does not hold him to account or punish him for this religion.
Hey, see there, some intelligent and informational comments do pop up at times.
I’ll photoshop her book. Her five closest advisers will be plugging all the holes.
Ian — if God doesn’t punish the child for following another religion, why do Muslims take it upon themselves to force people to “submit?” Islam means “submit.” There is no need for this because abolute power makes you absolutely stupid.
Also — if you are talking about circumcision, most Muslims circumcize their babies. I heard Mohammed was born without a foreskin, just like Moses.
Ian, why does Islam hate music? There is another Ian that would have been denied silenced if Mohammed were the Pharaoh over there in England. Yes. Jethro (Ian) Tull. Think about it.
or rather…
Ian, why does Islam hate music? There is another Ian that would have been silenced if Mohammed were the Pharaoh over there in England. Yes. Jethro (Ian) Tull. Think about it.
I wish to edit this, too:
Ian — if God doesn’t punish the child for following another religion, why do Muslims take it upon themselves to force people to “submit?” Islam means “submit.” There is no need for this. (period)
Easy Mrs. Dash. Tell Nikki to stop licking until you are finished. (With the comment, that is.)
BCT: Stop infesting this site with your porn talk.
Mrs. Dash….please, you were obviously distracted during your comments.
Sooooo….a gay reporter tweets that Nikki likes dyke rockers. Sic, next article.
1. Nikki frequents strip bars.
2. Openly gay reporter posts bias Nikki article.
3. Nikki likes dyke rocker Joan Jett.
Ready to talk about a different kind of conversion??? I mean, do either Sikhs or Methodists support lesbians???
Just asking.
BCT — I simply changed my mind and plan to use “absolute power makes you absolutely stupid” for another post, blog, book, law, or all of the above.
FYI: I have been within 2 feet of Nikki Haley once in my life and should have strangled her then.
I’ve never seen Haley at Mount Horeb UMC. She is such a joke, unfortunately at the public’s expense.
I wish to edit again @
“I have been within 2 feet of Nikki Haley once in my life.”
(period)
Inez is coming home…..
FRAUD ALERT NETWORK, it is “caste” not “cast”.
Rex, Shaheen was defeated because the sheeple zombies have been trained to only vote for the Rs. Sanfraud and Haley are proof of that.
Mrs. Dash…….no worries. Nikki may get her panties knotted up in a yellowish-green crusty ball…..but I’m quite sure SLED will take your comment figuratively.
Observer — SLED has not once taken my comments seriously. Even when I deliver them in person. They all just hide — even the receptionist.
http://forums.miamiherald.com/?q=node/24863
The Miami Herald obviously needs a new editor and a proof reader, too. They seem to have “coined” the phrase as well. (many others, too) I guess you can’t have a win-win situation since these words are merely redundant.
Observer — in fairness, I should disclose that I didn’t pester SLED with my observations and conspiracy theories once Reggie Lloyd took over.
Someone (I can’t recall who) referred to Reggie Lloyd as Jesus, so I figured he would know my concerns telepathically.
Very nice reply Gary !
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