A Sikh student has filed a lawsuit against the United States Army after being denied religious accommodation so that he could enlist in his school’s ROTC program, according to court documents.
Iknoor Singh was born and raised in Queens, New York. He studies finance at Hofstra University and dreams of serving his country as a military intelligence officer, according to court documents.
That dream has recently been put on hold, as the Army denied his request for a religious exemption from the military’s grooming policies.
“I couldn’t believe the military was asking me to make the impossible decision of choosing between the country I love and my faith,” Singh wrote on a blog post on the ACLU’s website.
Court documents claim the Army denied the motion in April 2013, stating the exemption would have had “an adverse impact on the Army’s readiness, unit cohesion, standards, health, safety, or discipline.”
The Army since then altered its decision, stating that Singh could seek a religious exemption after enlisting as a cadet.
The ACLU and United Sikhs believe the Army violated the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and took immediate legal action.
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This is absolute bullshit! What’s going to be next, women being given an exception and allowed to wear a Muslim headscarf should they enlist in the military?!
If you cannot conform to the military code of dress, then KEEP YOUR ASS OUT OF THE MILITARY!