An order by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia is enforced, just as the film “Colonel Kalsi” on a similar case is hailed in festivals.
by Massimo Introvigne
Jaskirat Singh is joining the Marines — and keeping his turban, his beard, and his kara iron bracelet too. He had to fight in court for this, together with two co-religionists, Milaap Singh Chahal and Aekash Singh. The three are members of the Sikh community, and the turban, the beard, and the kara are signs of their religious identity. They were told they should surrender them or abandon their dream of becoming Marines. They sued and won at the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, where an order was obtained in late April.
The decision is now being enforced with respect to Jaskirat Singh. The two other plaintiffs had decided in the meantime to join other military corps that already allowed Sikhs to keep their turbans and other distinctive signs. The judge told Jaskirat Singh that he should “roll, tie, or otherwise groom” his beard so that it is “no longer than two inches in length after grooming,” but can otherwise keep it together with his turban and kara,
One of those who supported the trio was Colonel Kamaljeet Singh Kalsi, of the Sikh Americans Veteran Alliance. Coincidentally, the 2022 film devoted to his own experience, “Colonel Kalsi: Beyond the Call” was being hailed in May in movie festivals throughout the United States.
Kalsi, a medical officer in the Army, was the first to serve with a turban but was ordered to take it off when he was sent to Afghanistan. He sued the Army and won. He is now a member of the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, which has recommended that turbans, hijabs for women, and other distinctive religious signs should be allowed in all branches of the U.S. military.
The Marines were the last to be ordered to accommodate the Sikhs, but the ruling will also benefit other religious minorities.
