Bill Text: NJ AR203 | 2016-2017 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges United States military to allow Sikhs to serve while wearing beards and turbans.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-01-10 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee [AR203 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2016-AR203-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman TIM EUSTACE
District 38 (Bergen and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Urges United States military to allow Sikhs to serve while wearing beards and turbans.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Assembly Resolution urging the United States military to allow Sikhs to serve in the military while wearing beards and turbans.
Whereas, Sikhism is a religion originating from India, and introduced into the United States during the 19th century; and
Whereas, There are approximately 25 million Sikhs worldwide, making it the fifth largest religion after Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism; and
Whereas, For Sikh men, wearing a beard, and letting their hair grow and covering their head with a turban are considered "articles of faith," and observant Sikhs are religiously obligated to follow those strictures; and
Whereas, Sikhs have served and currently serve in the militaries of India, England, Canada, Austria, and the United Nations, among others; and
Whereas, From 1948 to 1984, men of the Sikh religion were permitted to serve in the United States military while wearing beards and turbans and in 1984, the Chief of Staff of the Army eliminated the exception for Sikhs and others who wore "conspicuous" items of faith; and
Whereas, The Department of Defense permits accommodations among the armed forces and generally requires that Sikh men, and other service members seeking accommodations of their religious practices, comply with the ban on headgear and facial hair while waiting for an accommodation to be approved; and
Whereas, The policy of the Department of Defense essentially means that any observant Sikh man must violate his faith commitment while waiting for permission to abide by those commitments; and
Whereas, Only one branch of the armed forces, the Army, approved a modification of that policy and allows a Sikh man to wait to enlist until he learns whether a request for a waiver will be approved, and those requests are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, considering the impact on the unit, individual readiness, morale, discipline, and the health and safety of the force; and
Whereas, The United States military is the largest employer in the United States, and if the military is openly discriminating against religious minorities, that may give a greenlight to employers around the country to do the same; and
Whereas, This country was built by people from different parts of the world, from different races and religions, and ending the prohibition against facial hair and turbans would show the world that the United States and its military celebrates religious diversity and freedom of religion; now, therefore,
Be It
Resolved by the General Assembly of the State
of New Jersey:
1. This House urges the United States military to allow Sikhs to serve while wearing beards and turbans.
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly to the President and Vice President of the United States, the Secretary of Defense, every member of Congress elected from this State, and the Adjutant General of the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs.
STATEMENT
This resolution urges the United States military to allow Sikhs to serve in the military with beards and turbans, their "articles of faith." Sikhism is a religion originating from India and there are approximately 25 million Sikhs worldwide, making it the fifth largest religion. For Sikh men, wearing beards, and letting their hair grow and covering their head with a turban are considered "articles of faith," and observant Sikhs are religiously obligated to follow those strictures.
From 1948 to 1984, men of the Sikh religion were permitted to serve in the United States military while wearing beards and their turbans and in 1984, the Chief of Staff of the Army eliminated the exception for Sikhs and others who wore "conspicuous" items of faith. Only one branch of the armed forces, the Army, approved a policy that allows a Sikh man to wait to enlist until he learns whether a request for a waiver will be approved. Those requests are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, considering the impact on the unit, individual readiness, morale, discipline, and the health and safety of the force.
This country was built by people from different parts of the world, from different races and religions, and ending the prohibition against facial hair and turbans would show the world that the United States and its military celebrates religious diversity and freedom of religion.
