Lawmakers and faith leaders gathered at the Indiana Statehouse on Thursday to defend religious freedom after Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith sparked backlash with comments in a podcast last month in which he said he hated Islam and described it as a “demonic death cult.” His remarks drew national attention and prompted a response from the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which called on Beckwith to visit a mosque and meet with members of Indiana’s Muslim community.
The Statehouse event brought together Republicans and Democrats, along with leaders from multiple faith traditions, to emphasize support for religious liberty and reject religious hatred. Among the speakers were Sen. Shelli Yoder, a Bloomington Democrat, and Sen. Spencer Deery, a West Lafayette Republican. Sen. Fady Qaddoura, an Indianapolis Democrat who is Muslim, urged Gov. Mike Braun to make a stronger public statement affirming his support for religious freedom and condemning hate. Qaddoura said the governor’s earlier remarks were not enough because they appeared to leave room for agreement with Beckwith’s broader claims about extremism in Islam.
Braun has said he would not have used the same language as Beckwith and suggested the lieutenant governor may regret his comments. Beckwith has since shifted his focus to opposing “Sharia law,” which he says threatens the U.S. Constitution and American values. Qaddoura said the fallout has extended beyond politics, arguing that Indiana mosques have faced increased threats and that some have had to add security for prayers in response to Beckwith’s statements. He said the impact has been immediate and physical for Muslim communities across the state.
The gathering also included members of the Greater Indianapolis Multifaith Alliance and Indiana’s Mormon community. State Treasurer Daniel Elliott, a Republican and member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said freedom of worship is protected by both the U.S. and Indiana constitutions. He warned that hostility toward one religion can quickly spread to others, including Christians whose beliefs may differ from the majority. Elliott said his support for religious liberty is rooted in principle, not only in his own faith tradition, and emphasized that the issue affects Americans of all beliefs.
Elliott’s remarks came during a period of renewed attention on the Mormon Church, which was recently and briefly labeled non-Christian in a Pentagon-related context. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has also promoted an evangelical pastor who has argued that Mormons are not Christian. Still, Elliott said his presence at Thursday’s event was about protecting religious freedom broadly, not reacting to those developments.
In response to the criticism, Beckwith’s office defended his position, saying he supports people who come to the country legally and assimilate to American culture, while continuing to argue that Sharia law is incompatible with the nation’s way of life. The governor’s office did not respond to the report’s request for comment.
