Republican prays for Trump then insists everyone bow to Jesus just before state's first Muslim woman sworn in
'I knew I was going to receive some discrimination because of my religion,' Movita Johnson-Harrell says
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Your support makes all the difference.A Republican state congresswoman has prompted complaints after launching into a prayer thanking Donald Trump and calling on people to bow to Jesus shortly before Pennsylvania’s first black Muslim congresswoman was sworn in.
Stephanie Borowicz began the day’s session on Monday with an emotional invocation thanking her Christian god for Mr Trump “standing beside Israel unequivocally”.
Appearing almost in tears, Ms Borowicz sermonised about “overcoming evil” in the name of Jesus – who she mentioned 13 times – and said “every knee will bow and every tongue will confess” in the name of him.
In footage of the incident, one lawmaker can be heard shouting, “Objection!” before a colleague gently ushers her away from the microphone.
Movita Johnson-Harrell was sworn into Pennsylvania’s state legislator later that day.
The Democrat from Philadelphia, who was elected earlier his month in a special election, said: “I knew I was going to receive some discrimination because of my religion, because I’m a hijabi woman, and I am the first, but I did not think it would come on the actual day of my swearing in.”
Democratic leader Frank Dermody called Ms Borowicz’s invocation “beneath the dignity of this House” and asked that a group be set up to review the procedure.
Ms Borowicz represents a Clinton County district and insists she did nothing wrong.
Republican House speaker Mike Turzai is currently appealing a federal judge’s decision that stopped his policy of preventing nonbelievers from giving the invocations.
Additional reporting by AP
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