WASHINGTON, Oct 4 — The North American Punjabi Association (NAPA) has raised serious concerns over the Pentagon’s recent directive rolling back religious accommodations for facial hair in the US military. The policy, announced following US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s September 30 speech at Marine Corps Base Quantico, orders all military branches to revert to “pre-2010 standards” for grooming, effectively disallowing facial hair waivers.
NAPA Executive Director Satnam Singh Chahal warned that the directive could disproportionately affect Sikhs, Orthodox Jews, Muslims, and other religious minorities whose faith mandates beards or other articles of faith. “This decision is not about discipline or lethality; it is about stripping away the dignity and religious identity of devout soldiers who serve this country with loyalty and honour,” Chahal said.
For Sikhs, maintaining unshorn hair (kesh) is a non-negotiable religious mandate. “Asking a Sikh soldier to shave his beard is the same as asking him to give up his religion,” Chahal emphasised. The association noted that the policy forces service members to choose between their faith and military careers.
NAPA has urged the Donald Trump administration, members of Congress, and civil rights organisations to intervene and halt the directive’s implementation. The group vowed to continue advocacy through diplomatic channels to reverse what it called a regressive and discriminatory policy.
“We reaffirm our solidarity with Sikh soldiers and other religious minorities in the armed forces,” Chahal said. “No soldier should have to compromise their faith to serve their country.”
