A US court ruled that Marine Corps cannot deny entry to Sikhs sporting a beard and wearing a turban. This marks a major victory for three recruits from the Sikh community who can now join the unit’s basic training.
The trio of recruits – Aekash Singh, Jaskirat Singh, and Milaap Singh Chahal – had sought an exemption from the Marines rule which required them to shave their beards. The men had argued that the beards and turbans were an expression of their commitment to their religious faith but the Marine Corps had told the three Sikh men that they could serve only if they shaved before the basic training.
The men appealed to the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit in September after a lower-court judge denied their request. The Marines claimed that sporting beards will impact “troop uniformity” and appearance, ultimately threatening national security.
“They are now suffering and will continue to suffer grave, immediate, and ongoing injuries to the exercise of their faith,” the three-judge bench of the US Court of Appeals ruled.
“A federal court has just ruled that Sikhs can maintain their religious beards while serving their country in the US Marine Corps. Now, three Sikh recruits, who had previously been denied religious accommodations, can enter basic training,” lawyer Eric Baxter, who represented the three men, said.
“This is a major ruling for religious freedom—for years, the Marine Corps has barred Sikh recruits with religious beards from entry into basic training. Today’s ruling strikes down that rule as a “violation of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA),” he added saying, “No one should have to choose between serving God and country.”
