A US court on Friday ordered the Marines to let Sikh recruits maintain beards and wear turbans, rejecting the elite unit’s contention that permitting religious exemptions would reduce cohesion.
The US Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard — along with many foreign militaries — all already accommodate the religious requirements of Sikhism, the faith born five centuries ago in South Asia that forbids men from cutting hair or trimming beards and requires turbans.But the Marine Corps, responding to three Sikhs who passed tests to enlist last year, refused to make exemptions to grooming rules during 13 weeks of basic training and during potential periods of combat, although the three could maintain their beards and turbans at other times.
