Iowa Dem’s Muslim prayer, ‘too white’ comments resurface in tight House race: 'Downright shameful'
State Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, D-Iowa, caught the attention of the international Muslim community when, in 2021, she offered up a Muslim prayer on the floor of the Iowa Senate...
By Fox News · Fox News
State Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, D-Iowa, caught the attention of the international Muslim community when, in 2021, she offered up a Muslim prayer on the floor of the Iowa Senate despite also being an ordained minister with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Five years later — amid a bid to unseat Rep. Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, and flip control of one of the most competitive congressional districts in the country — Garriott’s resurfaced framing of the moment underscores her belief that an overly White and homogeneous representation underserves minority communities. As a recently elected state senator, Garriott shared a prayer highlighting a handful of Allah’s many names and characteristics. "We can all benefit as people of faith and as citizens to grow stronger as a community. So today I’m sharing a prayer from an accomplished young woman in my district," she read. MAMDANI’S GOD SQUAD: THE CLERICS, ACTIVISTS AND POLITICAL OPERATIVES WHO HAVE HIS BACK Some time after the prayer, Garriott joined Mohammed Shafiq on the YouTube channel British Muslim TV to explain the moment. "The Senate begins every day with prayer. And they almost always share Christian prayers. And for me, it’s really important to make sure that the diverse religious communities here and in Des Moines get to have their voice heard," Garriott told Shafiq. "I’ve made a commitment to only be praying prayers from those other communities," Garriott said. Iowa is 93% Protestant, Catholic, or unaffiliated, according to the Pew Research Center. Less than 1% of Iowa’s population is Muslim, according to the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI). At the time, Garriott explained she believed Muslims had suffered discrimination in the state, prompting her to characterize her prayer as one way for lawmakers to combat religious discrimination. "I just think there is some horrible animosity towards our Muslim neighbors. And we have a significant Muslim population in this metro area, and those voices des…