Nikki Haley: ‘I’m not white. I’m Indian American. Don’t ever judge or assume.’

The US Ambassador to the United Nations engages critics on twitter.

The same day Politico ran a story suggesting that Nikki Haley’s Twitter habits are raising “protocol concerns” within the Department of State, the US Ambassador to the United Nations engaged critics on the social media platform.

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In a series of tweets, the Indian American responded to critics about her neo-conservative position on Israel and her upbringing as a Sikh, among other topics.

It started when a Twitter user, @The_Black_Camel, who identifies himself as a University of Houston student, criticized the school for welcoming Haley to speak at the school on Tuesday.

The U.S. diplomat is scheduled to discuss global challenges in a special address at the university at 4 pm on May 22.

@The_Black_Camel tweeted: “Shame on UH for welcoming Nikki Haley to come speak on Tuesday! As U.S ambassador to the UN, she claimed that Israel “showed restraint” in the Gaza massacre of 109 protesters & walked out on a Palestinian rep in a meeting. DM me if you’re down to respond to her coming”

I pray for all of you to not see the worst in people but to understand the good in people. Good people aren’t just the ones that agree with you. They are the ones that fight for peace and solutions. I didn’t have to respond. I did because I thought it was worth a try.

— Archive: Ambassador Nikki Haley (@AmbNikkiHaley) May 20, 2018

The tweet provoked a response from Haley, who has more than 1.6 million followers:

“It’s a shame you think that. I am very open minded and thoughtful in everything I do. You may not agree with me but to think I’m one side is inaccurate. I hope to meet you at some point.”

More tweets followed:

“I’m not white. I’m Indian American. Don’t ever judge or assume. Many people are looking for peace just like you.”

“Have you ever asked why? Don’t assume people are bad. Our world is better than that. Judging people without knowing the situation or facts is a disservice. I wish all good things for you.”

In the same thread, another user criticized the US diplomat for exiting a UN meeting just when a Palestinian representative started speaking.

The user @OmarrrSh tweeted:

“If you’re not one-sided as you say you are, at least have the audacity to listen to the Palestinian representatives especially during a sensitive time. Sorry I can’t offer money/benefits like AIPAC only prayers that one day you see the conflict from the eyes of the Palestinians.”

Haley responded by saying that the meeting “went over” the two-hour time limit allotted for it and she had other engagements.

“Did you think to ask why I walked out?Bc we allotted for two hours for the meeting as we do for all SC mtgs. This one went over. I didn’t walk out on the Palestinian. I left after all Security Council members spoke. I didn’t hear the Palestinian or the Israeli. I had other mtgs.”

Did you think to ask why I walked out?Bc we allotted for two hours for the meeting as we do for all SC mtgs. This one went over. I didn’t walk out on the Palestinian. I left after all Security Council members spoke. I didn’t hear the Palestinian or the Israeli. I had other mtgs.

— Archive: Ambassador Nikki Haley (@AmbNikkiHaley) May 20, 2018

This was followed by a piece of advice from the Indian American Republican:

“I pray for all of you to not see the worst in people but to understand the good in people. Good people aren’t just the ones that agree with you. They are the ones that fight for peace and solutions. I didn’t have to respond. I did because I thought it was worth a try.”

I pray for all of you to not see the worst in people but to understand the good in people. Good people aren’t just the ones that agree with you. They are the ones that fight for peace and solutions. I didn’t have to respond. I did because I thought it was worth a try.

— Archive: Ambassador Nikki Haley (@AmbNikkiHaley) May 20, 2018

Haley also engaged another user who criticized her for her first name, “Nikki.”

The user @randaaimour wrote:

“Nikki Haley is an Indian Sikh???? Goodbye forever.”

“Born Nimrata Randhawa. To an Indian Sikh family. A whole ass woman of colour. And she’s this foul? An absolute disgrace.”

“Imagine carrying your child for 9 months and naming her Nimrata only for her to start calling herself Nikki. Her ancestors BEEN turning in their graves.”

https://twitter.com/randaaimour/status/997395325068423169

Haley responded calmly to these tweets:

“Nikki is my name on my birth certificate. I married a Haley. I was born Nimarata Nikki Randhawa and married Michael Haley.”

Nikki is my name on my birth certificate. I married a Haley. I was born Nimarata Nikki Randhawa and married Michael Haley.

— Archive: Ambassador Nikki Haley (@AmbNikkiHaley) May 20, 2018

Also on Sunday morning, Haley’s twitter account, which she has been using for close to a decade, was in the news.

Politico reported that her tweets are “indicative of another problem: Some U.S. diplomats are flouting State Department rules barring the use of personal social media accounts to make official statements.”

In the story, some raised the concern that Haley, who is talked of as one of the potential presidential candidates, may be using her twitter account to raise her political profile.

According to Politico, her twitter following has increased more than eightfold since her confirmation in January 2017. The former South Carolina governor now has “more than four times as many as the U.S. Mission to the United Nations’ office Twitter handle, @USUN,” it wrote.

“Taxpayer dollars shouldn’t be used to fund someone’s social media stardom for political or business purposes,” Brett Bruen, a former US diplomat who helped craft State Department guidelines on social media use, told Politico. “It doesn’t take a savvy political mind to identify that Haley is trying to attract American voters for 2024.”

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