US Army makes rare exception: Sikh soldier will be allowed to wear turban, grow beard

New York: In a rare exception, an active - duty Sikh combat soldier in the US army has been granted a temporary religious accommodation that allows him to grow his beard and wear a turban. [caption id=“attachment_2383670” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. Reuters[/caption] 10 years ago captain Simratpal Singh, 27 had to cut his hair on his first day at the United States Military Academy at West Point since the Army would not allow a soldier to keep long hair or a beard. Last week however, the Army has finally granted Singh, a religious accommodation under which he is allowed to grow his beard and wrap his hair in a turban. Singh has led a platoon of combat engineers in Afghanistan who cleared roadside bombs and was awarded the Bronze Star, “It is wonderful. I had been living a double life, wearing a turban only at home, my two worlds have finally come back together…A true Sikh is supposed to stand out, so he can defend those who cannot defend themselves,” Singh said. Although the accommodation is only temporary, lasting for only a month while the Army decides whether to give permanent status to Singh’s exception. If the Army decides against giving a permanent religious accommodation to Singh, the captain could be confronted with the decision of whether to cut his hair or leave the Army. Singh said he is prepared to sue if the accommodation is not made permanent. For the first time in decades has the US military granted a religious accommodation to an active-duty combat soldier for a beard - “a move that observers say could open the door for Muslims and other troops seeking to display their faith.” Eric Baxter, senior counsel at the Becket Fund, a nonprofit public interest law firm that specialises in religious liberty said that “This is a precedent-setting case.” Currently there are three Sikh-Americans in the US military - Major Kamaljeet Singh Kalsi, Captain Tejdeep Singh Rattan and Corporal Simranpreet Singh Lamba. Kalsi, a doctor and a major in the Army Reserve, had got permission to grow a beard in 2009, the first of only three Sikhs to receive permission before Singh. Singh was inspired to join the Army as his Sikh faith encouraged protection of the oppressed but having his hair cut left an indelible impression on him. Singh stopped shaving during leave before a new assignment this fall and filed for an accommodation with the help of the advocacy group the Sikh Coalition. He received the temporary accommodation last week and has made his own camouflage turbans to wear to his first day of work. “I hope this shows others that they can both serve their faith and serve their country,” he said. Lieutenant Colonel Jennifer R Johnson, an army spokeswoman, said future requests for accommodations would be evaluated “on a case-by-case basis, considering the impact on the unit and individual readiness, unit cohesion, morale, discipline, and health and safety of the force.” In recent years, almost all requests for a religious accommodation for a beard have been dismissed. Sikhs have repeatedly said that lifting this ban is particularly important to them as they have had a long history of military service. Two Muslims and a Jewish rabbi also have been granted accommodations since 2009 but all apparently served either as chaplains or in specialty medical fields and no combat soldiers has been given such religious accommodation before Singh, a spokeswoman for the Army said. PTI