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If a Sikh Can Sport a Beard In the IAF, Why Can’t a Muslim Do So?

Supreme Court justifying ‘no beard’ rule for Muslim IAF officers leaves question about religious freedom unanswered.

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The news – ‘Lose that beard SOLDIER! Court confirms only Sikh Air Force Personnel can sport beards and NOT Muslims’, a MailOnline headline screamed – found me on one of the social networks, before I went looking for it on the news media I trust (which are growing fewer in number each day). Being a Sikh IAF prodigy myself, currently living in the highly-volatile post-Brexit UK where I’ve personally experienced overt and covert discrimination many times, I stand with Muhammad Zubair.

A passionate debate started over the issue among a group of friends I met over a coffee, picking up on social media flurry on the matter. It has not only pitted two communities against each other, but has divided opinion within those communities as well. ‘Saner’ voices are lost and ‘populist’ voices are making a lot of noise. Over coffee, friends had drawn daggers at one another.

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Supreme Court justifying ‘no beard’ rule for Muslim IAF officers leaves question about religious freedom unanswered.
(Infographic: Lijumol Joseph/ The Quint)
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Question About Religious Freedom

“What do you mean you stand with Muhammad Zubair?” asked one quite vehemently. She was of the opinion that sympathising with him should suffice, and standing with him was taking it a bit too far.

“It’s got nothing to do with us,” said another, drawing my attention to the legal details she had Googled during the conversation. “Daily Mail loves a scandal and this is one of the post-Brexit ones, don’t take it too seriously,” she admonished.

“This helps Sikhs’ identity outside India, specially in the US where Sikhs have been mistakenly targeted as Muslims,” said the third, who has a majority of her family living there after they migrated from Afghanistan.

To check where they stand, I asked many Sikh organisations championing the Sikh identity cause in the UK, specially those who are keen on having a separate Sikh Regiment. Only two responded.

We believe that the State has a responsibility to uphold religious freedoms. If there’s a requirement in Islam for Muslim men to wear beards then one wonders why this right is being denied to them by the Indian Supreme Court. The Sikh Council UK, in line with the Sikh traditions, stands by right to belief.
Mr Gurmail Singh Kandola, General Secretary of Sikh Council UK

The Sikh Council is an apex Sikh body in UK which plays a vital role in policy decisions related to the community.

The onus to prove that keeping beards is a religious requirement rests with the appellants. If they are able to do so, we would stand with them shoulder-to-shoulder.
Mr Sukhwinder Singh, President, International Khalsa Organisation, and Member of the Federation of Sikh Organisations
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Supreme Court justifying ‘no beard’ rule for Muslim IAF officers leaves question about religious freedom unanswered.
(Infographic: Lijumol Joseph/ The Quint)
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Violation of Human Rights?

Personally, I believe that while Sikhs have bettered themselves at political lobbying and legal representation over times, their struggle is far from over. The UK Defence Minister has recently put a lid on the Sikh Regiment proposal and The Pentagon has only allowed accommodation on religious grounds from case-by-case basis.

I feel, as Sikhs, we need to follow the sacrifice of Guru Teg Bahadur, in letter and spirit. Most of time until now, we have chosen personal and selective battles, have won some and lost some. We must voice our concerns on violations of human rights all over the world and not just find comfort in narrating the horrors of 1984 to the rest of the world. We must, as always, stand for everyone’s religious freedoms and human rights.

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Battle for Identity

There’s no denying that it’s for the Muslim community in India to come together and express solidarity with the appellants if they disagree with the Supreme Court decision. Like we lobby here hard to get the government to listen and act upon our requests of religious accommodations, similar efforts and representations should be made to the GoI by the Muslims. And why just Muslims? Anyone and everyone, who genuinely feels that his/her fundamental right to freedom of religion is not being supported.

For all ‘Muhammad Zubairs’ around the world, the battle of identity and religious freedom is a long struggle; it needs a sound legal ground, financial and lobbying support, community backing, personal commitment, faith and tenacity.

If it helps, I have seen Prince Harry sporting a beard while in uniform!

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(Kamalpreet Kaur is a freelance journalist based in London, working with TV, radio, print and digital platforms. This is an opinion piece and the views expressed above are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for the same.)

Also Read: UK Says No to Sikh Regiment, Is Religious Segregation Necessary?

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