Allow Sikh recruits with beards and turbans, US court tells Marines
By Vipin Vijayan | First Published Dec 25, 2022, 2:15 PM ISTThe recruits - Jaskirat Singh, Aekash Singh and Milaap Singh Chahal -- had sought an exemption to the Marines grooming rule that necessitated them to shave their beards. They argued that the beard was an expression of their commitment to their religious faith.
Marine Corps cannot deny entry to Sikhs sporting a beard and wearing a turban, a United States court has ruled. The decision came as a shot in the arm for three Sikh recruits who do not have to forfeit their religious beliefs to join the elite unit's basic training.
The recruits - Jaskirat Singh, Aekash Singh and Milaap Singh Chahal -- had sought an exemption to the Marines grooming rule that necessitated them to shave their beards. They argued that the beard was an expression of their commitment to their religious faith.
A federal court has just ruled that Sikhs can maintain their religious beards while serving their country in the U.S. Marine Corps. Now, three Sikh recruits, who had previously been denied religious accommodations, can enter basic training. https://t.co/BzmkpcsAOm
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The Marine Corps had stated that the three Sikh men would have to shave before going being considered to go through basic training.
A lower-court judge had rejected their request for a preliminary injunction that would have allowed them to enter basic training with their articles of faith. Following this, they appealed to the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit in September.
The three-judge bench of the US Court of Appeals in Washington ruled that Sikhs can maintain their religious beards while serving their country in the US Marine Corps. The three Sikh recruits can now enter basic training.
The ruling is being viewed as a major victory for religious freedom. The Marine Corps has for years barred Sikh recruits with religious beards from entry into basic training. The US court struck down that rule as a 'violation of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA)'.
The Marines had contended that beards would impact 'troop uniformity' and ultimately threaten national security. However, the court noted that the Marine Corps has never explained why it cannot apply the [religious] accommodations that the Army, Air Force and Navy, and Coast Guard provide.
It is mandatory in the Sikh religion for the male adherents to not trim their hair and beard along with keeping kanga (wooden comb), kara (steel bracelet), kirpan (small sword), and a white cotton undergarment (kachera).
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