MINEOLA, N.Y. (AP) – A Sikh college student has sued the Army, saying he cannot join the Reserve Officer Training Corps unless he violates his religious beliefs by removing his turban, shaving and cutting his hair.
The group United Sikhs and the American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday in Washington, D.C., on behalf of Iknoor Singh, a 19-year-old from the New York City borough of Queens.
Singh, a sophomore studying finance and business analytics at Hofstra University on Long Island, said he has had a lifelong interest in public service and began thinking of a military career several years ago. His lawsuit said he speaks four languages – English, Punjabi, Hindi, and Urdu – and he said he wants to work in military intelligence.
“It has been one of those passions and dreams,” he told The Associated Press in a telephone interview this week. “If you look back in history, Sikhs have a very rich military tradition. We have always stood up to oppression and stand up for justice.”
Sikhism, a 500-year-old religion founded in India, requires its male followers to wear a turban and beard and keep their hair uncut.