Pentagon’s beard ban in US military violates Sikhs’ religious freedom: NAPA

US defence secretary Pete Hegseth’s September 30 directive to all branches to return to ‘pre-2010 standards’ for grooming does not allow facial hair waivers, putting minorities, such as Sikhs, orthodox Jews and Muslims, in a fix.

The North American Punjabi Association (NAPA) has expressed concern and opposition to the Pentagon’s latest directive rolling back religious accommodations for facial hair in the United States military.

In January 2017, five Sikhs were granted approval to serve in the US army with their religious insignia intact after the army issued a new regulation under which servicemen who wear turbans, hijabs or beards can be enrolled in the military. (Reuters file photo)

NAPA executive director Satnam Singh Chahal said that the policy, announced shortly after US secretary of defence Pete Hegseth’s September 30 speech at Marine Corps Base Quantico, directed all branches to return to ‘pre-2010 standards’ for grooming.

“The new rules state that the facial hair waivers are generally not authorised. It would create serious implications for Sikhs, orthodox Jews, Muslims and other religious minorities whose faith requires them to maintain beards and other articles of faith,” he said.

Chahal said this move represents a betrayal of trust for those who have fought for years to gain religious accommodation in the armed forces. “This decision is not about discipline or lethality, it is about stripping away the dignity and religious identity of devout soldiers who serve this country with loyalty and honour,” he said.

He emphasised that for Sikhs, keeping unshorn hair (kesh) is a non-negotiable religious mandate, and banning beards effectively excludes Sikh Americans from military service unless they abandon their faith. “Asking a Sikh soldier to shave his beard is the same as asking him to give up his religion,” Chahal said.

NAPA has called on the Donald Trump administration, members of Congress, and civil rights organisations to immediately intervene and halt the implementation of the Pentagon’s directive. The association warned that “this rollback could force hundreds of devout service members to make the impossible choice between their religious beliefs and their military careers”.

NAPA reaffirmed its solidarity with Sikh soldiers and other religious minorities in the armed forces and pledged to pursue all available advocacy through diplomatic channels to reverse what it described as a regressive and discriminatory policy.