The corps' refusal to grant a religious waiver is 'arbitrary and discriminatory, and violates the constitutional right to free exercise of their religion'
A Marine artillery captain named Sukhbir Singh Toor has been on a mission over the past year to become the first Sikh in the U.S. Marine Corps allowed to openly practice his religion while in uniform.
During that time he has won a string of victories against the strict dress standards of the Marine Corps, and he can now wear the beard, long hair and turban required of a faithful Sikh while on duty. But recently, the Marine Corps dug in, refusing to allow him or any other Sikh to wear a beard on a combat deployment or during boot camp, saying that beards would hinder the corps’ ability to function and put lives at risk.
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