The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today sent a letter to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth asking him to clarify if the religious freedom of Muslim, Sikh and Jewish soldiers who wear beards for religious reasons would be protected under the new regulations banning beards for soldiers.
In its letter, CAIR said in part:
“As you know, the First Amendment guarantees military personnel the right to practice their faith, including the right of Muslim, Sikh, and Jewish service members to grow beards or cover their hair.
“Longstanding Pentagon policy has recognized these rights, and previous updates have expanded protections. For example:
- In 2014, CAIR welcomed the Pentagon’s updated policy on religious accommodation, which broadened the rights of service members to wear beards, turbans, and other religious symbols.
- In 2020, CAIR supported the Air Force’s new guidelines allowing requests for turbans, hijabs, and beards as a step toward inclusion for service members of all faiths.
“To better understand how the Department intends to implement the new directives, we respectfully request clarification on the following points:
- Will the announced “no beards” policy include religious exemptions?
- Will the Department affirm that religious rights and accommodations for all military personnel remain in place and fully protected?
“Ensuring that Muslim, Sikh, Jewish, and other religious personnel can continue to serve honorably without compromising their faith is consistent with both constitutional principles and established DoW policy.”
Yesterday, CAIR called on the Pentagon to affirm that it will protect the religious rights of all military personnel by maintaining religious accommodations for Sikhs, Muslims, Jews, and others.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com