HomeSikh AmericansCourt rules Sikh recruits keep beards & turbans while training
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Court rules Sikh recruits keep beards & turbans while training

A federal appeals court ruled Friday that two Sikh recruits could keep their beards and turbans, which are articles of faith, while completing recruit training for the  U.S. Marine Corps, Yahoo News reports.

In April, Capt. Sukhbir Singh Toor and three Sikh recruits sued the Marine Corps, saying the restrictions on beards, long hair and turbans infringed on their freedom of religion, NBC News reports. Toor was granted accommodations in 2021 but only when he was on duty in the U.S. The accommodations did not apply to recruits.

On Friday, Dec. 23, Judges J. Michelle Childs, Patricia Millett and Neomi Rao of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia granted a preliminary injunction that would allow two of the recruits Milaap Singh Chahal and Jaskirat Singh to train with their Sikh articles of faith. According to Yahoo News, Aekash Singh’s was sent back to the district court.

The Marines say allowing Sikhs to keep their beards disrupts unity among recruits and could pose a safety risk in a combat zone, Religion News Service reports. Judge Millett questioned why the Marine Corps could make accommodations for Toor but not for recruits.

Eric Baxter, a lawyer representing the plaintiff’s, issued a statement via Twitter on Friday.

“Sikhs have a long tradition of serving in militaries around the globe, motivated by their religious teaching to defend the defenseless. We are grateful that these Sikh recruits can continue that tradition—the ruling was made right in time for them to enter boot camp,” Baxter said.

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