 Many of the great warriors of history had beards. In the modern era, however, clean-shaven faces became the hallmark of the modern military. This is a problem for American men of the Sikh faith, who are forbidden to shave. Many Jewish and Muslim men are similarly required to maintain beards as an outward sign of their faithfulness. In 2021, Edmund Di Liscia, a Hasidic Jew assigned to the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, testified before a federal judge that his beard is “a religious requirement and an expression of obedience and fidelity to God.” For years, many Americans adherents of several faiths were forced to choose between expulsion from military service or to violate their most closely held religious beliefs. Thanks to the good work of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, federal courts have stayed military orders to force religiously observant men to shave off their beards. The military has also shown flexibility, allowing religious accommodation for servicemen who demonstrate the sincerity of their faith and are willing to accept limitations on their assignments. This tolerance is now at risk. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently ordered the Pentagon to conduct a review of military standards related to health and appearance across the services. His memo pointedly noted that this review “includes but is not limited to beards.” It is understandable – even commendable – that Secretary Hegseth wants to level up the fitness and appearance requirements of the services. But we hope that in this review, a line is drawn to protect beards as expressions of faith. The Trump administration has shown great sensitivity to protecting religious liberty, including the establishment of a White House Faith Office to work with the Justice Department to protect the freedom of religious expression. As the Pentagon drafts new rules, the religious expression of Americans in uniform should also be respected. Comments are closed.
|
Archives
May 2025
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed