Despite rulings, Sikh Americans in the US military are still fighting to wear turbans and beards

The societal justness reckoning that has taken spot successful the United States is precise public, but successful the backstage ranks of the military, a akin conflict is being waged.

Sikh Americans who service successful the U.S. subject are enforcing their close to deterioration articles of religion portion serving, thing that has agelong been forbidden. And successful galore cases, those requests are being accommodated but not earlier a fewer ineligible battles.

“The thought is I would alternatively springiness up my head, I would alternatively springiness my beingness than springiness up this [Sikh] azygous which is indicative of the principles and values that I hold,” said Maj. Simratpal Singh of the U.S. Army.

Maj. Singh joined the U.S. Military Academy astatine West Point successful 2007. Shortly after, a commandant approached him saying if we wanted to stay, helium would person to shave his beard and region his turban.

“This thought that the precise values and principles that compelled maine to service this country, that were specified a cardinal portion of my upbringing; it felt similar I was betraying those values and principles,” said Maj. Singh.

Up until 1981, Sikhs successful the Army could service freely with their articles of faith, but that year, the Army banned them, saying beards and turbans could hinder servicemembers from gathering health, safety, and ngo requirements. It became a modular successful each subdivision of the military, and 1 that stood until 2010 erstwhile the Army made its archetypal spiritual accommodation for a Sikh servicemember.

Only a fewer years later, successful 2016, Maj. Singh took the Army to tribunal implicit the aforesaid issue, and won, successful the process strengthening the precedent for different servicemembers to bash the same.

“The lone committedness that I made myself was that I’ll fig retired a mode to deterioration my articles of religion again and travel backmost to my roots and signifier my religion the mode that I privation to,” said Maj. Singh, whose landmark ruling has paved the mode for different servicemembers to travel successful his footsteps.

IN 2018, the Air Force made its archetypal spiritual accommodation erstwhile it allowed Capt. Maysaa Ouza to deterioration a Hijab. Only a twelvemonth later, the Air Force granted Airman First people Harpreetinder Singh Bajwa support to deterioration a turban and beard portion serving, earlier permanently changing its regulations successful February 2020 to formally let airmen to inquire for a waiver to deterioration spiritual apparel for spiritual reasons.

“There are young Sikh kids successful this state presently who mightiness really person a passionateness to beryllium successful the Marines and ever person since they were kids, but look astatine the policies; they look astatine the rules for azygous and grooming, and they recognize I’m not accepted there,” said Giselle Klapper, an lawyer with the Sikh Coalition who presently represents First Lieutenant Sukhbir Toor, a Marine who has threatened ineligible against the Marine Corps.

In April of this year, First Lt. Toor became the latest Sikh American to petition a spiritual accommodation to deterioration spiritual apparel. The Marines granted that request, but lone portion helium was connected base, saying if 1^st. Lt. Toor was deployed to combat zones helium would person to adhere to its formal codification that bars him from wearing a turban and beard.

First Lt. Toor appealed the ruling, threatening ineligible enactment if the Marines bash not assistance his request.

“We’re acceptable to bash the aforesaid happening against the Marine Corp. and unluckily inquire a justice to regularisation against them due to the fact that we recognize that we are connected the close broadside of the law,” said Klapper.

The Sikh Coalition estimates determination are presently 100 active-duty servicemembers who service successful turbans and beards.