US army has issued a new regulation under which servicemen who wear turbans, hijabs or beards can be enrolled in the military. After this new development, five Sikhs have been inducted in the US army with their religious insignia intact. This is the largest induction of Sikhs into the US armed forces after the Department of Defense banned visible articles of faith in 1981.
The new set of rules was issued by Secretary of Army and was made public on the 4th of January. It eliminates bureaucratic hurdles that had previously discriminated against Sikhs or people of other faiths.
The new rule allows religious accommodations to be approved at the brigade-level. Previously it was at the level of Secretary.
“After 35-year presumptive ban on observant Sikhs, our nation’s largest employer has taken a vital step in embracing policies that reflect the rich diversity of our nation”, said Harsimran Kaur, Sikh coalition Legal Director.
“We look forward to permanent policy change across all branches of the military so that all religious minorities can freely serve without exception” she said.
According to Sikh Coalition, the religious accommodations bring the new total to at least 14 Sikh American soldiers now serving with their religious articles of faith in the US army.
Under the previous policy, these accommodations involved a burdensome case-by-case process, brought up through the chain of command to the secretary-level, and were subject to annual review and revocation. Now, they can be granted at the brigade-level and can only be revoked if the army identifies a specific, concrete hazard.
TO USE WITH AFP STORY by Shaun Tandon, U Source: AFP PHOTO / TIMOTHY A. CLARY
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