Court: Army Must Let Sikh Student Wear Beard in ROTC

CHAPLAIN ALLIANCE FOR RELIGIOUS LIBERTY June 15, 2015 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact CHAPLAIN ENDORSERS at info@chaplainalliance.org or call (571) 293-2427

Court: Army Must Let Sikh Student Wear Beard in ROTC

WASHINGTON – Friday was a great day for religious liberty in the military: a young Sikh man won his lawsuit to join the U.S. Army's ROTC program without having to compromise his faith. Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty was proud to speak up for Sikhs and other faith groups last year, when it signed a joint letter encouraging the Department of Defense to expand its protections for military religious liberty. And the Chaplain Alliance is delighted that the federal court's ruling applied the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) to broadly protect service members' faith. Protecting religious liberty is a crucial source of our nation's and our military's strength. That's why, for instance, the Army chaplaincy's motto is Pro Deo et Patria: "For God and Country."

On Friday, the judge helped the military live up to the best of its traditions, removing barriers that unnecessarily limit recruiting and retaining top-notch soldiers.

Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty is an organization of chaplain endorsers, the faith groups that provide chaplains for the U.S. military and other agencies needing chaplains. The endorsers in Chaplain Alliance speak for more than 2,600 chaplains serving the Armed Forces.

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