Written by Don Byrd
A few days ago, the Pentagon announced a change in policy to make more difficult the denial of a servicemember’s request for a religious accommodation from the military’s strict grooming standards. The change has been hailed as a step forward in religious freedom rights for many faiths previously restricted from service due to the prohibition on long hair, turbans, head coverings and beards. But many now argue the change does not go far enough to ensure that a person whose faith requires an accommodation will receive one.
The NYTimes reports on the Sikh community’s ongoing efforts to make this change.
Though the new policy explicitly states that defense officials will try to accommodate religious beliefs, it still requires that a service member who wants to wear a beard or turban or other article of clothing for religious reasons first get permission from the military. Sikh representatives say that does not go far enough, pointing to the small number of exceptions given to Sikhs in the past. And, they say, it still leaves the judgment in the hands of commanders who could, at any time, decide that an offending beard must be shorn.
“There is still a presumptive ban, which would discourage any recruit,” said Rajdeep Singh, director of law and policy with the Sikh Coalition, an advocacy group. “If I sign up to join the Army for example, and wear a turban, there’s no guarantee my accommodation request will be granted.”
The new policy is no doubt a step forward in being more inclusive of diverse faiths and more understanding of religious needs. It raises the standard military officials must meet before denying a request for religious accommodation, but it does still allows such a request to be rejected if it is outweighed by the demands of the mission, its impact on military readiness, or unit cohesion. Accommodations can also be revisited when a sericemember transfers to a new unit or is deployed.
You can see the policy amendments here.
