Hindu Prayer Will Open Senate Session in July
By Nathan Burchfiel
CNSNews.com Staff Writer
June 26, 2007(CNSNews.com) -
For what is believed to be the first time in its history, the U.S. Senate will on July 12 be opened with a Hindu prayer, the Senate Chaplain's Office confirmed Monday.
For more than 200 years, the Senate has opened each workday with a prayer usually delivered by the Senate Chaplain, currently Barry Black, a Seventh Day Adventist.
It is common, however, for senators to recommend religious leaders from their home states to serve as guest chaplains.
Rajan Zed, a Hindu chaplain from Nevada, will become the first Hindu to deliver the morning prayer.
In a statement announcing his scheduled appearance, Zed called the occasion "an illustrious day for all Americans and a memorable day for us."
Zed has previously offered prayers to open sessions of the Nevada State Assembly and Nevada State Senate in March and May of this year respectively.
According to reports, he was the first Hindu to deliver opening prayers in any state legislature in the U.S.
"I believe that despite our philosophical differences, we should work together for the common objectives of human improvement, love, and respect for others," Zed said in an e-mail to Cybercast News Service.