The Army last week allowed one Sikh soldier to serve in his beard and turban, but one Senate lawmaker says that doesn’t go far enough, and are asking the military to expand its religious exemption to cover all Sikhs seeking to serve.
Army Capt. Simratpal Singh sued the Pentagon last month for his right to wear the beard and turban required by his faith while serving on active duty. He became the first active duty Sikh soldier allowed to wear his articles of faith when the Army granted him a long-term religious accommodation.
“I’m very pleased with the Army’s decision to make a long-term accommodation for Captain Singh and would encourage the DoD to consider fully repealing its policy demanding practicing Sikh American soldiers give up some of the foundational aspects of their religion,” Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said in a statement. “Equality among all members of our armed forces will make our military more cohesive and stronger in today’s modern world.”
Three other Sikh soldiers filed a suit against the Pentagon and the Army on Monday asking for the same rights Singh was granted, according to a press release from the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which represents Singh and the other three soldiers.
“It’s high time the Army stopped dragging every single Sikh who wants to serve his country through months of discrimination and delay,” said Eric Baxter, senior counsel at Becket.
The three soldiers are scheduled to begin Basic Combat Training in May, and said in the court filing that the Army’s failure to act on their request for religious accommodation is prohibiting them from keeping their careers on schedule.
“The Army’s delays leave Sikh soldiers uncertain about their future for months on end,” Baxter said. “In the meantime, they are often treated like second-class soldiers. The Army needs to stop sending the message that religious minorities are not welcome in the military.”
Singh’s accommodation lasts at least one year, with the Army promising to put clearer standards in place for granting religious accommodations by then.
