A Sikh American soldier’s battle for the turban

[enhanced_deficit]

A Sikh American soldier’s battle for the turban

JSingh (http://sikhsangat.org/author/jsingh/) July 25, 2013 America (http://sikhsangat.org/category/america/)

http://sikhsangat.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/images14.jpg
Washington, USA: July 21 (IANS) “If the militaries in Canada, England, India and progressive nations allow Sikhs to serve in turbans and beards, then why can’t the US?”
That was the question that Major Kamaljeet Singh Kalsi, the first Sikh soldier in a generation allowed to keep the articles of his faith, posed to his commanders back in 2009 when he was told that he cannot wear his turban and beard while in service.
Eight years earlier when he joined the US army he had spoken with the recruiters and “they said ‘it’s not an issue, not a big deal’ because they had seen other sardars in service,” Kalsi told IANS on phone from Fort Bragg, North Carolina.


- See more at: http://sikhsangat.org/2013/a-sikh-american-soldiers-battle-for-the-turban (http://sikhsangat.org/2013/a-sikh-american-soldiers-battle-for-the-turban/#sthash.uesTF0aY.dpuf)

[TaftFan]

I'm fine with the military allowing facial hair. Uniforms need to be....uniform.

[enhanced_deficit]

I'm fine with the military allowing facial hair. Uniforms need to be....uniform.

What you implying, everyone should wear a beard and a turban to make it a uniformly dressed military?

[TaftFan]

What you implying, everyone should wear a beard and a turban to make it a uniformly dressed military?

No, that he should wear the headgear they tell him to. He knew this before he signed up.

[eduardo89]

I'm fine with the military allowing facial hair. Uniforms need to be....uniform.

I don't see a problem with allowing small exceptions for deeply held religious beliefs such as his one.

[enhanced_deficit]

No, that he should wear the headgear they tell him to. He knew this before he signed up.

Ok.
Many other soldiers joined military knowing that gay marriage in military was not allowed and later got that policy changed due to "civil rights" issue, he my have been getting encouraged from winds of change all around him since Obama was tapped by pupms.

Incidentally:

Barack Obama 'will not visit Golden Temple over Muslim photo fears ... (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/barackobama/8073552/Barack-Obama-will-not-visit-Golden-Temple-over-Muslim-photo-fears.html)

www.telegraph.co.uk (http://www.telegraph.co.uk)

Oct 19, 2010 - Barack Obama 'will not visit Golden Temple over Muslim photo fears' ... the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee, the Sikh governing ...


Obama Skipping Sikh Temple Visit to Avoid Looking Muslim (http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/obama-skipping-sikh-temple-visit-to-avoid-looking-muslim/)
Oct 20, 2010
On an upcoming trip to India, President Obama will skip visiting one of the country’s most sacred shrines out of fear that wearing the requisite headgear might make him appear Muslim, according to reports from the United States and India.

Muslims barred from picture at Obama event - Ben Smith - POLITICO ... (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0608/11168.html)

Jun 18, 2008 - the women, both Obama supporters who ... The incidents in Michigan, which has one of the largest Arab and Muslim ... incidents — made it clear that headscarves wouldn't be in the picture.


On an off topic opinion note:
Obma escalated drone strikes on muslims to combat perceptions that he was a muslim.. opinion (http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/interactive/2013/mar/25/drone-attacks-pakistan-visualised)

[presence]

"both political and civil liberty have long since ceased to exist in almost all the countries that now employ standing troops,
and that their slavery has in every instance been effected and maintained
by the instrumentality and invariable obedience of these living machines to their chief." 1788

[amy31416]

When it comes to the military, I think they should discriminate against everyone. Sikhs, women, gays, Latinos...everyone.

[KEEF]

They should discriminate against fighting undeclared wars, inciting military coups, on, and on.

[phill4paul]

No, that he should wear the headgear they tell him to. He knew this before he signed up.

What did you miss in the OP?


the first Sikh soldier in a generation allowed to keep the articles of his faith, posed to his commanders back in 2009 when he was told that he cannot wear his turban and beard while in service.


when he joined the US army he had spoken with the recruiters and “they said ‘it’s not an issue, not a big deal’ because they had seen other sardars in service,”

[jkr]

looks better than ALL the american head gear in military & "law enforcement"

especially the beret

[oyarde]

When it comes to the military, I think they should discriminate against everyone. Sikhs, women, gays, Latinos...everyone.

Nah , Latinos are OK :)

[oyarde]

When it comes to the military, I think they should discriminate against everyone. Sikhs, women, gays, Latinos...everyone.

Not exactly an equal opportunity employer, I still cannot figure out why people would want it to be ..... As far as these guys, I imagine they are all medical , which , I imagine if it was left to the Generals would be exactly where restrictions are lifted , or would be if I was :)

[enhanced_deficit]

I don't see a problem with allowing small exceptions for deeply held religious beliefs such as his one.

On the other hand, isn't it a slippery slope and next religious muslims, jews, arabs, catholics and others would ask for their religious head gears to be exempted due to their deeply held religious beliefs and make US militray look like a UN force?


Muslim head gear:

http://www.theblaze.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/hijabs.jpg (http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=arab%20military%20soldier%20head%20gear&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=87oRaWRPdjvxpM&tbnid=W82SpCotCf_ruM:&ved=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theblaze.com%2Fstories%2F2011 %2F04%2F01%2Fsensitivity-training-female-u-s-soldiers-in-afghanistan-encouraged-to-wear-hijab%2F&ei=dGzzUaaFDou09gTU74DQBA&bvm=bv.49784469,d.eWU&psig=AFQjCNHTKiZpM6BF5JXyzRnp-lZfP32OKQ&ust=1374993887777947)


Jewish head gear:

http://www.jpost.com/HttpHandlers/ShowImage.ashx?ID=3961 (http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=israeli%20military%20soldier%20kippah&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=VJpsl1C78AeZsM&tbnid=8n7T8RP8L2QcFM:&ved=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jpost.com%2FIsrael%2FIDF-Kippa-restriction-report-untrue&ei=I23zUZLrOpHS9QTTp4D4Dg&bvm=bv.49784469,d.eWU&psig=AFQjCNEA0J33GtMlWV9HoWoDcI4jScrjcQ&ust=1374994053696474)

Arab head gear:

http://www.drybonesproject.com/blog/hussein.jpg (http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=jordan%20king%20hussein&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=9FQJx2JyYcj_KM&tbnid=MUXiQws_LJ31pM:&ved=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdrybonesblog.blogspot.com%2F2009% 2F02%2Fking-hussein-rip-1999.html&ei=ZG_zUfT1H4eG9gS93oCQBw&bvm=bv.49784469,d.eWU&psig=AFQjCNFzQQfQsJqfhqTW4BHDXBtvsevvZg&ust=1374994454466114)

[oyarde]

On the other hand, isn't it a slippery slope and next religious muslims, jews, arabs, catholics and others would ask for their religious head gears to be exempted due to their deeply held religious beliefs?


Muslim head gear:

http://www.theblaze.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/hijabs.jpg (http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=arab%20military%20soldier%20head%20gear&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=87oRaWRPdjvxpM&tbnid=W82SpCotCf_ruM:&ved=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theblaze.com%2Fstories%2F2011 %2F04%2F01%2Fsensitivity-training-female-u-s-soldiers-in-afghanistan-encouraged-to-wear-hijab%2F&ei=dGzzUaaFDou09gTU74DQBA&bvm=bv.49784469,d.eWU&psig=AFQjCNHTKiZpM6BF5JXyzRnp-lZfP32OKQ&ust=1374993887777947)


Jewish head gear:

http://www.jpost.com/HttpHandlers/ShowImage.ashx?ID=3961 (http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=israeli%20military%20soldier%20kippah&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=VJpsl1C78AeZsM&tbnid=8n7T8RP8L2QcFM:&ved=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jpost.com%2FIsrael%2FIDF-Kippa-restriction-report-untrue&ei=I23zUZLrOpHS9QTTp4D4Dg&bvm=bv.49784469,d.eWU&psig=AFQjCNEA0J33GtMlWV9HoWoDcI4jScrjcQ&ust=1374994053696474)

Arab head gear:

http://www.drybonesproject.com/blog/hussein.jpg (http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=jordan%20king%20hussein&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=9FQJx2JyYcj_KM&tbnid=MUXiQws_LJ31pM:&ved=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdrybonesblog.blogspot.com%2F2009% 2F02%2Fking-hussein-rip-1999.html&ei=ZG_zUfT1H4eG9gS93oCQBw&bvm=bv.49784469,d.eWU&psig=AFQjCNFzQQfQsJqfhqTW4BHDXBtvsevvZg&ust=1374994454466114)

Not a problem in surgery ....elsewhere, maybe....