The Pentagon recently joined with a group of Sikhs in celebrating Vaisakhi and the Sikh New Year. Pentagon Chaplain (LtCol) Claude Brittian spoke of the importance of religious freedom:

“I believe that for me to be able to celebrate as a Christian, then I must stand up for the rights of others to celebrate in regards to their faith,” Brittian [said]…

“I am a firm believer that I should not be the one who is explaining Sikhism to the rest of the world,” he said. “I believe that those who practice their faith should have the opportunity to share their faith.”

Somewhat ironically, Sikhs aren’t permitted to serve in the US military, at least not while maintaining the articles of their faith, which include uncut hair, beards, and a kirpan. (A few have received exceptions to policy, but the policy remains in force.)

This is a point Daniel Blomberg of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty recently made, saying

Regrettably, our military isn’t living up to the best of this tradition [of religious tolerance], particularly for some religious minorities. For instance, Sikhism, the world’s fifth-largest religion, has been in the United States for over 100 years and has about 500,000 U.S. adherents. But today, Sikh Americans are presumptively banned from the military because their faith requires them to wear beards and turbans at all times. Other minority faiths, such as Orthodox Jews, face a similar ban. This means that prisoners — whom the U.S. Supreme Court recently confirmed must be allowed to wear beards required by their faiths—receive protection for their faith unavailable to the men and women who lay down their lives to protect us all.

With recent changes in religious accommodation policy it is possible that the military’s attitude toward Sikhism and other religions with “non-uniform” tenets may change. How quickly that happens, if at all, remains to be seen.

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