Sikh Captain Simratpal Singh Is Suing the Army for the Right to Wear His Turban and Beard
It was a historic moment when U.S. Army Captain Simratpal Singh was originally given temporary accommodations for the beard and turban he wears as part of his Sikh religion. But now, the first Sikh in years to be accommodated by the U.S. military is suing them for discrimination on the basis of religion, ThinkProgress reported.
As the end date of his accommodation draws closer, officials told Singh he must undergo a series of tests: a helmet test and three days of "intensive safety mask testing," according to the Becket Fund, his legal representation along with the Sikh Coalition. As of Tuesday afternoon, the officials have postponed the tests due to court pressure, but will move forward in defending them.
The tests are meant to determine whether Singh's beard and turban are a distraction in combat situations. However, members of the Special Forces and other men with beard exemptions have not had to take these tests.
Singh's lawyers argue that these tests violate the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which they said "forbids the military from suppressing a soldier's religious exercise unless it has a compelling interest that cannot be met in a less restrictive way." If the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act sounds familiar, it's probably because it's a blueprint for state-level laws that have been used to discriminate against LGBT people.
"Captain Singh is more than willing to undergo the same safety testing as all other soldiers, but he objects to defendants treating him differently because of his Sikh religion," the lawsuit stated. The goal of the lawsuit is a permanent accommodation for Singh.
Harsimran Kaur, legal director for the Sikh Coalition, denounced the turban and beard ban in a statement. "This ban is wrong. Sikh Americans have proven time and again that they can serve with honor and excellence," Kaur said. "Our military's work is too hard and too important to be weighed down by unnecessary limitations on who can do the job."
There is also some precedent for Singh to stand on. In 2010, Simran Lamba, the first enlisted soldier to be granted a religious accommodation since the 1980s, was allowed to wear his turban and beard. Since 1984, Army policies barred those items, often preventing Sikhs from enlisting.
Sikh army doctors can grow beards and wear turbans if they get special permission, and in 2015, a Sikh ROTC member was allowed to don a turban and sport a beard — but permission was granted only after he brought ROTC leaders to court.
