Posted on Jun 16, 2015
Sikh Wins Court Case To Join ROTC: Is this a victory for religious freedom or did the court go too far?
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A Federal Judge has ruled that Iknoor Singh's adherence to his Sikh faith - wearing facial hair, keeping his hair long, but wrapped in a turban, and carrying a sharp knife on his person - would not diminish his capacity to serve the nation he loves, the United States of America, as a future Officer in the United States Army. Do you feel too many allowances are being made for his faith or do you feel he should be welcomed into the ranks if he can successfully fulfill the requirements for Commissioning? What say you, RP?
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(Note: Full article added by RP Staff.)
MINEOLA, NY — A Sikh college student from New York said Monday he is excited about a federal court decision that will permit him to enroll in the U.S. Army's Reserve Officer Training Corps without shaving his beard, cutting his hair, or removing his turban.
U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson issued the ruling Friday in Washington, D.C., saying 20-year-old Iknoor Singh's adherence to his religious beliefs would not diminish his ability to serve in the military.
"I didn't believe it at first when I heard about the decision," said Singh, who lives in the New York City borough of Queens.
He told The Associated Press in a telephone interview Monday: "It was kind of surreal. This is something I have been fighting for for two or three years. I'm excited and nervous; very excited to learn."
Singh, who will be a junior next fall studying finance and business analytics at Hofstra University on Long Island, said he has had a lifelong interest in public service. He speaks four languages — English, Punjabi, Hindi, and Urdu — and he said he wants to work in military intelligence.
"Becoming an officer is not an easy thing," he conceded. "You have to be proficient in many areas."
Sikhism, a 500-year-old religion founded in India, requires its male followers to wear a turban and beard and keep their hair uncut.
Under a policy announced last year, troops can seek waivers on a case-by-case basis to wear religious clothing, seek prayer time or engage in religious practices. Approval depends on where the service member is stationed and whether the change would affect military readiness or the mission.
Currently, only a few Sikhs serve in the U.S. Army who have been granted religious accommodations.
In her ruling, Jackson said, "It is difficult to see how accommodating plaintiff's religious exercise would do greater damage to the Army's compelling interests in uniformity, discipline, credibility, unit cohesion, and training than the tens of thousands of medical shaving profiles the Army has already granted."
Army spokesman, Lt. Col. Ben Garrett, said in a statement the decision is currently being examined. "The Army takes pride in sustaining a culture where all personnel are treated with dignity and respect and not discriminated against based on race, color, religion, gender and national origin," he said.
Hofstra spokeswoman Karla Schuster said in a statement that the university "supports Mr. Singh's desire to serve his country, as well as his right to religious expression and practice. We are pleased that the courts have affirmed that he can do both as a member of the ROTC."
Gurjot Kaur, senior staff attorney for the Sikh Coalition, said the decision was "an important victory in the fight for religious freedom. We urge the Pentagon to eliminate the discriminatory loopholes in its policies and give all Americans an equal opportunity to serve in our nation's armed forces."
The American Civil Liberties Union and a group called United Sikhs jointly represented Singh in the case.
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/queens/sikh-student-queens-clear-join-army-rotc-article-1.2259423
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(Note: Full article added by RP Staff.)
MINEOLA, NY — A Sikh college student from New York said Monday he is excited about a federal court decision that will permit him to enroll in the U.S. Army's Reserve Officer Training Corps without shaving his beard, cutting his hair, or removing his turban.
U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson issued the ruling Friday in Washington, D.C., saying 20-year-old Iknoor Singh's adherence to his religious beliefs would not diminish his ability to serve in the military.
"I didn't believe it at first when I heard about the decision," said Singh, who lives in the New York City borough of Queens.
He told The Associated Press in a telephone interview Monday: "It was kind of surreal. This is something I have been fighting for for two or three years. I'm excited and nervous; very excited to learn."
Singh, who will be a junior next fall studying finance and business analytics at Hofstra University on Long Island, said he has had a lifelong interest in public service. He speaks four languages — English, Punjabi, Hindi, and Urdu — and he said he wants to work in military intelligence.
"Becoming an officer is not an easy thing," he conceded. "You have to be proficient in many areas."
Sikhism, a 500-year-old religion founded in India, requires its male followers to wear a turban and beard and keep their hair uncut.
Under a policy announced last year, troops can seek waivers on a case-by-case basis to wear religious clothing, seek prayer time or engage in religious practices. Approval depends on where the service member is stationed and whether the change would affect military readiness or the mission.
Currently, only a few Sikhs serve in the U.S. Army who have been granted religious accommodations.
In her ruling, Jackson said, "It is difficult to see how accommodating plaintiff's religious exercise would do greater damage to the Army's compelling interests in uniformity, discipline, credibility, unit cohesion, and training than the tens of thousands of medical shaving profiles the Army has already granted."
Army spokesman, Lt. Col. Ben Garrett, said in a statement the decision is currently being examined. "The Army takes pride in sustaining a culture where all personnel are treated with dignity and respect and not discriminated against based on race, color, religion, gender and national origin," he said.
Hofstra spokeswoman Karla Schuster said in a statement that the university "supports Mr. Singh's desire to serve his country, as well as his right to religious expression and practice. We are pleased that the courts have affirmed that he can do both as a member of the ROTC."
Gurjot Kaur, senior staff attorney for the Sikh Coalition, said the decision was "an important victory in the fight for religious freedom. We urge the Pentagon to eliminate the discriminatory loopholes in its policies and give all Americans an equal opportunity to serve in our nation's armed forces."
The American Civil Liberties Union and a group called United Sikhs jointly represented Singh in the case.
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/queens/sikh-student-queens-clear-join-army-rotc-article-1.2259423
Religion
ROTC
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Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 282
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I can sum my feelings up with one simple sentence. "Everyone in the Military or wanting to join the military should have and follow the same standards."
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SPC (Join to see)
If they have an actual medical issue with severe skin problems then it is justified, but I have seen many people abuse this profile. So I do believe there should be stricter policies in place to prevent abuse of the profile . I have no problem with religious freedom or equal rights and believe if your an American or wanting to become one then you should have every right to join the military, I have many friends who are earning their citizenship through the military, what I can tell you from what I've seen is that you do not come across many people with full beards in the military unless in a rare occasion its command approved as part of a temporary medical treatment . A lot of people don't believe that beards are an issue for protective masks in chemical environments but I beg to differ as you cannot have a complete seal on the mask if you have a beard and if somehow you could it would require more effort which equals more time donning you're gear which could possibly cost you you're life in an emergency situation. Also as more and more standards change to accommodate people's wants and needs don't be surprised to see more people fighting to change their appearance or the uniform they wear because of their beliefs and before we know it the military does not have a standard on you're appearance or the uniform you wear. So we might as well accommodate changes for the Wiccan religion or how about satanism...
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This has no real merit.
the regulation was changed over 2 years ago for a medical officer (Sikh) who joined our army. Permitting him to wear his turban and beard according to his religious practices.
the regulation was changed over 2 years ago for a medical officer (Sikh) who joined our army. Permitting him to wear his turban and beard according to his religious practices.
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1) The military is not an organization whose purpose is social engineering, social experimentation or any other airy- fairy politically correct stupidity. Its purpose is to fight battles and win wars. Anything that impairs the military in that purpose should not be permitted for that very reason. There are very good reasons for the military requiring short hair. One is sanitation; the other is that any head injury or wound is going to take longer to treat because the head will have to be shaven – minutes lost doing that could be the difference between life and death plus there augmented infection factor in such a head wound with long hair. Aside from that how is he going to wear a steel helmet with that turban?
2) There is no longer any draft so his participation is voluntary and like any “club” you join you abide by the rules or you are not a member period.
3) I certainly would not want to be in a fox hole with him – he is more likely to be wounded because of his lack of helmet leaving my position‘s firepower reduced by 50% to say nothing of the lice etc. due to his long hair.
2) There is no longer any draft so his participation is voluntary and like any “club” you join you abide by the rules or you are not a member period.
3) I certainly would not want to be in a fox hole with him – he is more likely to be wounded because of his lack of helmet leaving my position‘s firepower reduced by 50% to say nothing of the lice etc. due to his long hair.
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Lt Col (Join to see)
So, we should deny his ability to join ROTC, even though we have allowed exceptions to policy for Sikhs serving on active duty?
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125142736
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125142736
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The strength of the United States Armed Forces has historically been in the fact that we are the best trained, most disciplined fighting force to ever exist. To achieve this we are taught, quite extensively and rigorously, that there is no room for individualism. Basic Training is designed to strip away our individual identities and turn us into "Soldiers", "Marines", "Seamen", or "Airmen". We run drills to the point that every person knows what to do without thinking about it with everyone learning and doing the same thing. By the time we leave basic, everyone is working together as one. There are standards in place to dictate how the uniforms are to be worn. Appearance and hygiene are strictly regulated, as are nearly every other aspect of how we present ourselves, both in and out of uniform. Discipline takes on a new meaning to anyone who is now or has ever served in the US Armed Forces. Joining the military is not meant to be just a job, but a way of life.
If someone truly wants to serve their country, they should be willing to make the sacrifices that every other person before them made. The courts should have no say in the enlistment process since it is a personal choice. If you truly want to serve, then you do whatever is necessary to make it happen. Learn that you are part of a bigger entity and let your individualism go. If your beliefs, either religious or personal, prevent you from doing that, then accept the fact that you will most likely do more harm than good and walk away. Because when the military stops being a uniform body moving in unison and acting to achieve a common goal, then it becomes something else entirely.
If someone truly wants to serve their country, they should be willing to make the sacrifices that every other person before them made. The courts should have no say in the enlistment process since it is a personal choice. If you truly want to serve, then you do whatever is necessary to make it happen. Learn that you are part of a bigger entity and let your individualism go. If your beliefs, either religious or personal, prevent you from doing that, then accept the fact that you will most likely do more harm than good and walk away. Because when the military stops being a uniform body moving in unison and acting to achieve a common goal, then it becomes something else entirely.
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CPT Quentin von Éfáns-Taráfdar
Very well said! The military is not just a "job" it is a calling. It is the only profession whose exercise thereof requires the killing of other human beings, either directly or indirectly. In conjuction with that it is the only profession that requires it's practitioners also to put their lives on the line.
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Lt Col (Join to see)
At the risk of sounding like a broken record in this thread...why would we not allow this young man to join ROTC when we have allowed others of his faith to join the active duty military? http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125142736
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I don't see how this situation fits into any of the narrow categories the poll choices describe.
Sikh's have served in the US Armed forces for at least the last one hundred years and have been allowed to retain turban, beard, etc. to conform with their faith. The lawsuit was brought because current regulations allow application for waiver after the service member has joined, but does not allow for application of waiver prior to joining. If the lawsuit route had not been followed by Iknoor Singh, he would have had to do away with the beard, turban, hair, kurpan, etc. which is forbidden: " The initiate is required to wear the physical symbols of a Khalsa at all times as well as follow the Khalsa Code of Conduct." http://www.sikhs.org/khalsa.htm So, ultimately, I see this as a means to allow him to serve, the same way many of us have found ways to overcome obstacles or objections that may have precluded us to serve.
Many of the responses I have read speak of conformity. Those of you that have tats, do you all have the same ones? Why not? Others have spoken about the slippery slope...been there, done that, i.e. women fighter pilots, women in infantry units, etc. Korea era and earlier, the armed forces were going to fall apart if mixed color units were allowed. From my perspective, it has always been and always will be a question of can the person do the job expected and required of him/her/it?
Sometimes you just have to color outside the lines.
Sikh's have served in the US Armed forces for at least the last one hundred years and have been allowed to retain turban, beard, etc. to conform with their faith. The lawsuit was brought because current regulations allow application for waiver after the service member has joined, but does not allow for application of waiver prior to joining. If the lawsuit route had not been followed by Iknoor Singh, he would have had to do away with the beard, turban, hair, kurpan, etc. which is forbidden: " The initiate is required to wear the physical symbols of a Khalsa at all times as well as follow the Khalsa Code of Conduct." http://www.sikhs.org/khalsa.htm So, ultimately, I see this as a means to allow him to serve, the same way many of us have found ways to overcome obstacles or objections that may have precluded us to serve.
Many of the responses I have read speak of conformity. Those of you that have tats, do you all have the same ones? Why not? Others have spoken about the slippery slope...been there, done that, i.e. women fighter pilots, women in infantry units, etc. Korea era and earlier, the armed forces were going to fall apart if mixed color units were allowed. From my perspective, it has always been and always will be a question of can the person do the job expected and required of him/her/it?
Sometimes you just have to color outside the lines.
Sikhism Religion of the Sikh People
Who and What is a Khalsa? "He who keeps alight the unquenchable torch of truth, and never swerves from the thought of One God; he who has full love and confidence in God and does not put his faith, even by mistake, in fasting or the graves of Muslim saints, Hindu crematoriums, or Jogis places of sepulchre; he who recognises the One God and no pilgrimages, alms-giving, non-destruction of life, penances, or austerities; and in whose heart the...
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MAJ Paul Hoiland, would you have asked if it was a so called Christian demanding that all must swore an oath on the bible. This is not about religious freedom is about serving and not about the false belief policies that are in place to ensure the good order and discipline of the whole, it is about using common sense.
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CPT Pedro Meza
Capt Jeff Schwager, Look at the news, a misguided Christian participates in prayer at a Black Church then proceeds to kill 9 people, because they are Black. Please apply We are thy Brother's Keeper, as you comment, don't add to the hate.
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CPT Pedro Meza
MSgt Paul Anderson, I take it you have issues telling the truth about how religious liberty is misused. Care to dialogue?
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Capt Jeff S.
CPT Pedro Meza, How does one get into Civil Affairs? Do they have any entrance requirements or do they simply take anyone with a pulse? Does walking into a church make one a Christian? Was Dylann Roof's intention prayer, or was he planning to kill people in the church because he wanted to start a race war and was pretty confident that a bunch of black Christians praying would be a soft target? You are argumentative and don't even make logical connections in your diatribes. It's difficult to take you seriously.
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CPT Pedro Meza
Capt Jeff Schwager, You can easily answer all your questions, “black Christians praying would be a soft target”, good to see that you recognize that. Now about “make logical connections”, you cannot deny the fact that those of you that Claim to be Christians use the phrase religious liberty to justify forcing others to follow your beliefs. There is no “projecting falsehoods at a religious group” if you claim to be Christian then follow the teachings of the Jesus Teacher called Jesus and practice Love thy Neighbor that includes this Sikh, and also all gay, lesbian, or transgender service members. Apply your religious beliefs to yourself and not others. This Sikh can join the ARMY just the same way others Sikhs have joined and stop making an issue about the way Sikhs relate to God, because it is the same God you worship.
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This is crazy, the ultimate reason for the military is defense....there is a need for discipline and conformity.....that is part of the military! It helps in combat to distinguish your troops from others.....The PC thing is going to far!!!
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Wow! This is the United States Military not some social experiment. So if he is wearing a turban how does that look for uniformity and professionalism? Carrying a weapon (knife) in the work place, is that OK while others are not able too? The whole religion excuse is being abused by all faiths and we should be careful with how the military moves forward with this.
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Lt Col (Join to see)
You do know that we have Sikhs already on active duty, right? http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125142736
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MCPO Keith Kaui
Jason,
I do, and i am sure they excelled within the service but assimilated to the U.S. Military culture. As i mentioned before, i applaud and respect anyone who raises their right hand to serve their country.
I do, and i am sure they excelled within the service but assimilated to the U.S. Military culture. As i mentioned before, i applaud and respect anyone who raises their right hand to serve their country.
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PO2 Kevin O'Connor
MCPO Keith Kaui - (Keith) Master Chief. Thank you for thinking I may still be young, but that boat sailed about as long ago as my first Med Cruise in 78'. Past the 55 mark awhile ago. Any way, as an RP I was required to provide religious support to all personnel, no matter what I thought. That to me is one of the great things about Military life. We take the values "Freedom" to heart. We stand up for others rights even if they aren't our own. Yes we are a voluntary service, but the idea of "You don't have personal rights or freedoms in the service" was starting to be outdated thinking when I went through Boot Camp in 77'. Yes there has to structure and rules and regulations, but any service member will be able to tell you that you also have to be flexible and at time modify your plans and thinking.
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Lt Col (Join to see)
MCPO Keith Kaui - Well, the person in this particular story petitioned, and was approved, to keep the turban and the beard. I'm not sure why we would deny that to an ROTC student when we clearly are willing to allow it on active duty.
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