Twenty-seven retired Generals from the US military services have asked US Defense Secretary Ash Carter to remove barriers that prevent Sikhs from serving with their articles of faith – beards, unshorn hair, and turbans, which are worn for religious reasons.
On the occasion of Veterans Day – observed annually on 11 November, that honours military veterans, persons who served in the United States Armed Forces – the veterans appealed to the government “to understand there are some Americans who still struggle for the basic right to serve.”
Sikh Americans have a proud history of honourable and selfless military service. A person’s faith should not create artificial barriers to recruitment and retention, especially when simple accommodations are both easily available and proven in combat.Retired Brigadier General Jeffrey Kendall (US Air Force)
According to Sikh rights advocacy group Sikh Coalition, the letter adds “to the growing chorus, which was previously joined by 105 Members of Congress, 15 US Senators, and 21 national interfaith and civil rights organisations.”
Sikh Coalition is leading the chorus online with #LetSikhsServe.
In 1981, a prohibitive ban restricting articles of faith was put into place by the US military. Exceptions have been made for just three individuals in the recent years, Major Kamal Singh Kalsi, Captain Tejdeep Singh Rattan, and Corporal Simranpreet Singh Lamba.
The appeal assumes significance in light of the appointment of former army colonel Harjit Singh Sajjan as Canada’s new Defence Minister. Sajjan is a decorated veteran who served three tours in Afghanistan and one in Bosnia, and the first Sikh to command a Canadian army regiment.
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