A US court has ruled that Marine Corps cannot deny entry to Sikhs sporting a beard and wearing a turban, in a major victory for three recruits from the community who can now join the elite unit’s basic training without having to forfeit their religious beliefs.
The trio of recruits – Aekash Singh, Jaskirat Singh, and Milaap Singh Chahal – had sought an exemption from a Marines grooming rule requiring them to shave their beards, with the men arguing it was their expression of commitment to their religious faith.
The Marine Corps told three Sikh men that they could serve only if they shaved before going through basic training.
They appealed to the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit in September after a lower-court judge denied their request for a preliminary injunction that would have allowed them to enter basic training with their articles of faith.
