In the face of a Supreme Court decision requiring an employer to accommodate a job seeker’s head scarf, NPR’s Tom Gjelten asks “Why Are Only Three Observant Sikh Men Serving In The U.S. Military?”

“What I’m anticipating with this decision is that we will have a move in this country to recognize the right of individuals from different religious backgrounds to live in an America that does not discriminate against them on the basis of how they appear,” says Simran Jeet Singh, the senior religion fellow for the Sikh Coalition.

The article largely rehashes the story and one recent update:

The Army, however, recently approved a modification of that provision and now allows a Sikh man to wait to enlist until he learns whether his request for a waiver will be approved. The Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps offer no such opportunity, and no observant Sikh man is currently serving in any of those branches.

Sikh leaders see the Pentagon’s current case-by-case approach to the waiver of its ban on facial hair and religious headgear as a “presumptive ban” on observant Sikhs serving in the U.S. military.

The article admirably took the extra research step of noting the Supreme Court allowed the military to require uniformity in personal appearance in 1986, something many forget.

To permit Sikhs to openly serve while they adhere to the tenets of their faith would be a significant step, as it would be an “obvious” visual indicator of the accommodation of religious exercise. In that regard, it would be a significant positive step for military religious freedom.

Given the other segments of society that are being permitted to serve in a way that is ‘true to themselves,’ it seems there should be little that prevents Sikhs from serving and not being discriminated against because of who they love. As one General recently said:

It’s…authenticity…We want to be an organization that attracts and retains the best talent…No one has the right to tell others who they should be or who they should not be.

Though General Tammy Smith wasn’t talking about religion, the military’s demands for authenticity, readiness, and “diversity” do not stop at sexuality.

Photo:
Capt. Tajdeep Rattan (from left), Maj. Kamaljeet Kalsi and Lamba are the only three observant Sikh men currently serving in the U.S. military. Sikhs are hoping that a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling might lead the Pentagon to lift its ban on facial hair and religious headgear. Exemptions are rarely granted. Courtesy of the Sikh Coalition

ADVERTISEMENT