As
previously reported, in January the Department of Defense adopted a revised policy on religious accommodation in the military, including on matters of appearance and grooming. However, as explained by the ADL in a
blog posting yesterday, many still feel that the new policy does not go far enough. In an April 2 letter to the Pentagon (
full text) 21 major religious and civil rights organizations summarized their objections, stating in part:
As currently drafted, ... [the policy] would require religiously observant service members ... to remove their head coverings, cut their hair, or shave their beards ... while their request to accommodate these same religious practices is pending.... We urge you to reconsider this provision, which has the effect of forcing some religiously observant service members to make an impossible choice between their faith and their chosen profession.
Further, under ... [the policy] even if an original accommodation request is approved, religiously observant service members would be required to submit a new request for the same accommodation every time they receive a new assignment, “transfer of duty station, or other significant change in circumstances.” The uncertainty associated with this requirement to repeatedly request an accommodation for the very same religious practices is stifling, and may needlessly limit career opportunities – or, in some cases, end careers.
[Thanks to Michael Lieberman for the lead.]
