Army grants Sikh enlistees waiver to its beard policy

Army grants Sikh enlistees waiver to its beard policy

When Simratpal Singh entered the U.S. Aggressive Academy at West Point aback in 2006, he did something he anticipation he would never accept to do: barber his beard.

"One of the hardest things I had to do was attending in the mirror every day and shave," said Singh, whose Sikh adoration requires men to abound beards as an commodity of faith. "Your self-esteem was affectionate of shattered."

Now Singh and three Army enlistees accept won permission to abrasion beards and turbans afterwards filing federal lawsuits that seek to force the Pentagon to board those who abrasion beards for religious reasons.

Singh, now a captain at an engineering army at Fort Belvoir, won an authoritative barring two weeks ago beneath an Army action that allows exemptions to the no-beard action on a case-by-case basis. On Friday, the Army accepted agnate exceptions to three Sikh enlistees who had filed a abstracted lawsuit. Those enlistees will now be accustomed to abrasion beards and turbans if they address for basal training next month.

Harsimran Kaur, acknowledged administrator for the Sikh Coalition, which filed the lawsuits, said the affiliation will abide to accompany its lawsuits to access a abiding action change that allows all Sikhs to serve and accumulate their beards. She said Sikhs served in the U.S. aggressive at atomic as far aback until World War I, and again after adventure until 1981, if the aggressive implemented its no-beards rule.

While there is a action for account associates to seek an barring on a case-by-case basis, Kaur said it is onerous. Kaur said she is acquainted of alone eight Sikhs who accept been accepted exemptions, including the four who just afresh accustomed them.

Ben Sakrisson, a Pentagon spokesman, said requests for religious apartment "are adjourned on a case-by-case base and should be accustomed by commanders if adaptation will not accept an adverse appulse on mission accomplishment, including aggressive readiness, assemblage cohesion, standards, or discipline."

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