US
Senate opens with Hindu prayers
July
13, 2007
History was created in the United States Senate at 9.30
am on Thursday, when Rajan Zed, the Hindu chaplain of the
Indian Association of Northern Nevada, opened the Senate
with a Hindu prayer.
This is the first such instance since the formation of the
powerful Upper House in 1789. Zed was accompanied by his
wife Shipa and four of his friends from Virginia.
According
to the US Senate web site, 'Throughout the years, the United
States Senate has honored the historic separation on Church
and State, but not the separation of God and State. During
the past 207 years, all sessions of the Senate have been
opened with prayer, strongly affirming the Senate's faith
in God as sovereign lord of our nation.'
However,
just as Zed was about to begin the prayer, a few Christian
fundamentalists protested and began screaming, while holding
the Bible aloft, "Lord Jesus, protect us from this
abomination." Officers from the Sergeant of Arms' office
ejected one after the other (three were taken away) from
the Senate gallery which looks down on the floor.
The
president pro-tem of the Senate, had to beat the podium
with his gavel thrice. He called on the Sergeant of Arms
to restore order in the Senate Chamber. A Senate aide said
these people probably had gotten visitor's passes to the
Senate gallery through a Senator's office and noted that
"disrupting a Senate in the chamber is a criminal offense
and they can be arrested."
A
few minutes later, Zed delivered his prayer which took no
more than 90 seconds, which as per the instructions from
the Office of the Chaplain of the Senate had to be delivered
exclusively and entirely in English.
"Let us pray," Zed began, "We meditate on
the transcendental glory of the deity supreme, who is inside
the heart of the earth, inside the life of the sky and inside
the soul of heaven. May he stimulate and illuminate our
minds.
"Lead
us from the unreal to real, from darkness to light, and
from death to immortality. May we be protected together.
May we be nourished together. May we work together with
great vigor. May our study be enlightening. May no obstacle
arise between us."
Seeking
the blessings of god on behalf of and for the Senators,
Zed declared, "May the Senators strive constantly to
serve the welfare of the world, performing their duties
with the welfare of others always in mind. Because by devotion
to selfless work one attains the supreme goal of life. May
they work carefully and wisely, guided by compassion, and
without though for themselves."
"United
your resolve, united your hearts, may your spirits be at
one, that you may long dwell in unity and concord!"
he added, and ended with, "Peace, peace, peace be unto
all."
Before
stepping away from the podium, Zed also said, "And,
Lord, we ask you to comfort the family of former First Lady,
Lady Bird Johnson," wife of the former and late President
Lyndon Baines Johnson, who died at age 94.
