☀️ JOIN SPN MOBILE
Forums
New posts
Guru Granth Sahib
Composition, Arrangement & Layout
ਜਪੁ | Jup
ਸੋ ਦਰੁ | So Dar
ਸੋਹਿਲਾ | Sohilaa
ਰਾਗੁ ਸਿਰੀਰਾਗੁ | Raag Siree-Raag
Gurbani (14-53)
Ashtpadiyan (53-71)
Gurbani (71-74)
Pahre (74-78)
Chhant (78-81)
Vanjara (81-82)
Vaar Siri Raag (83-91)
Bhagat Bani (91-93)
ਰਾਗੁ ਮਾਝ | Raag Maajh
Gurbani (94-109)
Ashtpadi (109)
Ashtpadiyan (110-129)
Ashtpadi (129-130)
Ashtpadiyan (130-133)
Bara Maha (133-136)
Din Raen (136-137)
Vaar Maajh Ki (137-150)
ਰਾਗੁ ਗਉੜੀ | Raag Gauree
Gurbani (151-185)
Quartets/Couplets (185-220)
Ashtpadiyan (220-234)
Karhalei (234-235)
Ashtpadiyan (235-242)
Chhant (242-249)
Baavan Akhari (250-262)
Sukhmani (262-296)
Thittee (296-300)
Gauree kii Vaar (300-323)
Gurbani (323-330)
Ashtpadiyan (330-340)
Baavan Akhari (340-343)
Thintteen (343-344)
Vaar Kabir (344-345)
Bhagat Bani (345-346)
ਰਾਗੁ ਆਸਾ | Raag Aasaa
Gurbani (347-348)
Chaupaday (348-364)
Panchpadde (364-365)
Kaafee (365-409)
Aasaavaree (409-411)
Ashtpadiyan (411-432)
Patee (432-435)
Chhant (435-462)
Vaar Aasaa (462-475)
Bhagat Bani (475-488)
ਰਾਗੁ ਗੂਜਰੀ | Raag Goojaree
Gurbani (489-503)
Ashtpadiyan (503-508)
Vaar Gujari (508-517)
Vaar Gujari (517-526)
ਰਾਗੁ ਦੇਵਗੰਧਾਰੀ | Raag Dayv-Gandhaaree
Gurbani (527-536)
ਰਾਗੁ ਬਿਹਾਗੜਾ | Raag Bihaagraa
Gurbani (537-556)
Chhant (538-548)
Vaar Bihaagraa (548-556)
ਰਾਗੁ ਵਡਹੰਸ | Raag Wadhans
Gurbani (557-564)
Ashtpadiyan (564-565)
Chhant (565-575)
Ghoriaan (575-578)
Alaahaniiaa (578-582)
Vaar Wadhans (582-594)
ਰਾਗੁ ਸੋਰਠਿ | Raag Sorath
Gurbani (595-634)
Asatpadhiya (634-642)
Vaar Sorath (642-659)
ਰਾਗੁ ਧਨਾਸਰੀ | Raag Dhanasaree
Gurbani (660-685)
Astpadhiya (685-687)
Chhant (687-691)
Bhagat Bani (691-695)
ਰਾਗੁ ਜੈਤਸਰੀ | Raag Jaitsree
Gurbani (696-703)
Chhant (703-705)
Vaar Jaitsaree (705-710)
Bhagat Bani (710)
ਰਾਗੁ ਟੋਡੀ | Raag Todee
ਰਾਗੁ ਬੈਰਾੜੀ | Raag Bairaaree
ਰਾਗੁ ਤਿਲੰਗ | Raag Tilang
Gurbani (721-727)
Bhagat Bani (727)
ਰਾਗੁ ਸੂਹੀ | Raag Suhi
Gurbani (728-750)
Ashtpadiyan (750-761)
Kaafee (761-762)
Suchajee (762)
Gunvantee (763)
Chhant (763-785)
Vaar Soohee (785-792)
Bhagat Bani (792-794)
ਰਾਗੁ ਬਿਲਾਵਲੁ | Raag Bilaaval
Gurbani (795-831)
Ashtpadiyan (831-838)
Thitteen (838-840)
Vaar Sat (841-843)
Chhant (843-848)
Vaar Bilaaval (849-855)
Bhagat Bani (855-858)
ਰਾਗੁ ਗੋਂਡ | Raag Gond
Gurbani (859-869)
Ashtpadiyan (869)
Bhagat Bani (870-875)
ਰਾਗੁ ਰਾਮਕਲੀ | Raag Ramkalee
Ashtpadiyan (902-916)
Gurbani (876-902)
Anand (917-922)
Sadd (923-924)
Chhant (924-929)
Dakhnee (929-938)
Sidh Gosat (938-946)
Vaar Ramkalee (947-968)
ਰਾਗੁ ਨਟ ਨਾਰਾਇਨ | Raag Nat Narayan
Gurbani (975-980)
Ashtpadiyan (980-983)
ਰਾਗੁ ਮਾਲੀ ਗਉੜਾ | Raag Maalee Gauraa
Gurbani (984-988)
Bhagat Bani (988)
ਰਾਗੁ ਮਾਰੂ | Raag Maaroo
Gurbani (889-1008)
Ashtpadiyan (1008-1014)
Kaafee (1014-1016)
Ashtpadiyan (1016-1019)
Anjulian (1019-1020)
Solhe (1020-1033)
Dakhni (1033-1043)
ਰਾਗੁ ਤੁਖਾਰੀ | Raag Tukhaari
Bara Maha (1107-1110)
Chhant (1110-1117)
ਰਾਗੁ ਕੇਦਾਰਾ | Raag Kedara
Gurbani (1118-1123)
Bhagat Bani (1123-1124)
ਰਾਗੁ ਭੈਰਉ | Raag Bhairo
Gurbani (1125-1152)
Partaal (1153)
Ashtpadiyan (1153-1167)
ਰਾਗੁ ਬਸੰਤੁ | Raag Basant
Gurbani (1168-1187)
Ashtpadiyan (1187-1193)
Vaar Basant (1193-1196)
ਰਾਗੁ ਸਾਰਗ | Raag Saarag
Gurbani (1197-1200)
Partaal (1200-1231)
Ashtpadiyan (1232-1236)
Chhant (1236-1237)
Vaar Saarang (1237-1253)
ਰਾਗੁ ਮਲਾਰ | Raag Malaar
Gurbani (1254-1293)
Partaal (1265-1273)
Ashtpadiyan (1273-1278)
Chhant (1278)
Vaar Malaar (1278-91)
Bhagat Bani (1292-93)
ਰਾਗੁ ਕਾਨੜਾ | Raag Kaanraa
Gurbani (1294-96)
Partaal (1296-1318)
Ashtpadiyan (1308-1312)
Chhant (1312)
Vaar Kaanraa
Bhagat Bani (1318)
ਰਾਗੁ ਕਲਿਆਨ | Raag Kalyaan
Gurbani (1319-23)
Ashtpadiyan (1323-26)
ਰਾਗੁ ਪ੍ਰਭਾਤੀ | Raag Prabhaatee
Gurbani (1327-1341)
Ashtpadiyan (1342-51)
ਰਾਗੁ ਜੈਜਾਵੰਤੀ | Raag Jaijaiwanti
Gurbani (1352-53)
Salok | Gatha | Phunahe | Chaubole | Swayiye
Sehskritee Mahala 1
Sehskritee Mahala 5
Gaathaa Mahala 5
Phunhay Mahala 5
Chaubolae Mahala 5
Shaloks Bhagat Kabir
Shaloks Sheikh Farid
Swaiyyae Mahala 5
Swaiyyae in Praise of Gurus
Shaloks in Addition To Vaars
Shalok Ninth Mehl
Mundavanee Mehl 5
ਰਾਗ ਮਾਲਾ, Raag Maalaa
What's new
New posts
New media
New media comments
New resources
Latest activity
Videos
New media
New comments
Library
Latest reviews
Donate
Log in
Register
What's new
New posts
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Welcome to all New Sikh Philosophy Network Forums!
Explore Sikh Sikhi Sikhism...
Sign up
Log in
Sikh Philosophy Network
Announcements
Get Involved
Sikh Organisations
Sikh Officer & Afghanistan Veteran Fights Army's Ban On Beards
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="spnadmin" data-source="post: 193387" data-attributes="member: 35"><p>Sikh Officer and Afghanistan Veteran Fights the Army’s Ban on Beards</p><p>Share this!</p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.stateofformation.org/2013/11/sikh-officer-and-afghanistan-veteran-fights-the-armys-ban-on-beards/" target="_blank">http://www.stateofformation.org/2013/11/sikh-officer-and-afghanistan-veteran-fights-the-armys-ban-on-beards/</a></p><p></p><p></p><p>This article originally appeared in Newsweek's The Daily Beast <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/the-hero-project/articles/2013/11/08/sikh-officer-and-afghanistan-veteran-fights-the-army-s-ban-on-beards.html" target="_blank">click here</a></p><p></p><p>U.S. Army Major Kamal Singh Kalsi comes from a long tradition of military veterans. His great grandfather served in the Royal British Army. Both his father and grandfather saw combat while serving in the Indian Air Force. So when recruiters approached him and asked him to join the military in 2000, Kalsi jumped at the opportunity.</p><p></p><p>“I was in medical school at the time, and I was really excited to continue the family tradition of military service,” Kalsi explains. “They also offered to cover the cost of my medical schooling, so it was a no-brainer. You’re going to give me financial support and I get to serve my country? How could anyone turn down such a great opportunity?”</p><p></p><p>What seemed like an easy decision soon brought its own challenges. Major Kalsi is an American physician whose religion—Sikhism—mandates that he maintain a turban and beard. These two aspects of his physical appearance do not comport with military appearance regulations, which presumptively forbid religious headcoverings and beards.</p><p></p><p>At the time of his enlistment, it had been more than two decades since the Army had enacted a presumptive ban against religious minorities who maintain visible articles of faith, and it did not seem likely that Major Kalsi would receive an accommodation to serve while upholding his distinct identity. Kalsi and his team of lawyers, led by the Sikh Coalition with assistance from an international law firm, McDermott Will & Emery, worked on securing this accommodation. As he describes it, Major Kalsi’s commitment to the lengthy process drew from his intense desire to serve and better his country.</p><p></p><p>“It was very clear to me that our country had not fully healed from the violence of 9/11,” Kalsi describes. “As an American and as a Sikh, I felt a need to be proactive in fighting hatred and injustice, and my value systems teach me that the best way to do this is through service.”</p><p></p><p>After nearly two years of paperwork and support from both the White House and Congress, Major Kalsi was eventually accommodated in 2009. Representative Joseph Crowley (D-NY) helped spearhead the effort to receive this accommodation, and was one of almost 50 members of Congress to sign and send a letter of support to the Department of Defense.</p><p></p><p>Last week, Major Kalsi visited Capitol Hill and met with members of Congress to raise awareness about Sikhs and the challenges of ensuring equal opportunities in the military. During this trip Major Kalsi also attended the first-ever Congressional Diwali celebration, where Rep. Crowley reiterated his support for the right of Sikhs to serve in the military without compromising their religious requirements and voiced his appreciation for Major Kalsi’s service to the nation.</p><p></p><p>“He has won numerous awards for his service, and I believe it’s time that we let all Sikhs serve in the United States Armed Services.”</p><p></p><p>Since 2009, Major Kalsi has been serving as an Emergency Medicine physician with the U.S. Army. He was deployed to Helmand province in Afghanistan, and upon his return was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his service, which included resuscitating two fellow soldiers who were clinically dead.</p><p></p><p>His colleague and roommate in Afghanistan, Captain Ryan Hepworth, attested to the value of his time with Major Kalsi during deployment.</p><p></p><p>“I’m from rural Alabama and had never met a Sikh before meeting Kamal. I came to really love and respect the guy,” Captain Hepworth said. “I learned from him about how well Sikhs used to be represented in the military and how it’s expected of them to be protectors of the realm. I think that’s great and very similar to my views—and I think so many of us Americans could learn from that.”</p><p></p><p>While Major Kamal Singh Kalsi and two other Sikh-Americans—Captain Tejdeep Singh Rattan and Corporal Simranpreet Singh Lamba—have received waivers from the presumptive ban that keeps devout Sikhs out of the military, the policy remains in place and makes it difficult for Sikh-Americans to enter the service.</p><p></p><p>There are two arguments in particular that have been regularly cited by the U.S. military. First is the concern about properly fitting a gas mask over the turban and beard. The three Sikh-American soldiers currently serving have been able to tie their beards and use the gas masks properly, in compliance with military health and safety requirements, and have clearly shown that this is not a problem.</p><p></p><p>Second is the concern of unit cohesion and whether allowing Sikhs to serve will undermine esprit de corps. Brief conversations with soldiers who served with Major Kalsi indicate that this concern does not hold much weight. For instance, Captain Hepworth responded to this question without flinching and spoke in support of reversing the current policy.</p><p></p><p>“I don’t see this adjustment to uniformity to be a problem, and I never saw any issues or problems when we were deployed in Afghanistan together,” Hepworth said. “Based on my experiences with Kamal—I just trust him. He’s a complete professional, and he’s the right guy for the job. I’d work a trauma with him any day. I’d let him work on me. I’d even let him operate on my family.”</p><p></p><p>Another colleague of Major Kalsi, Captain Roni Paul, also spoke to this issue. Captain Paul joined the U.S. Army after graduating from high school in 1991, and he explains that spending time with Major Kalsi really changed his mind on how he viewed the issue.</p><p></p><p>“It’s almost like brainwashing, but we are really taught to believe that if your haircut isn’t right or your uniform isn’t looking good, then you have no place in the military,” Captain Paul describes. “And then all of a sudden, here comes a great asset to the military. Why should we discriminate against him just because he has a turban and beard? It has no bearing on how much someone can contribute to our country or our military.”</p><p></p><p>Captain Paul followed his statement by reflecting on how getting to know Major Kalsi changed the way he thinks about the issue.</p><p></p><p>“If you had asked me in 1991 when I first started, I would have said ‘No way should we allow someone with a turban and beard. ” Captain Paul said. “Now that I have much more experience and wisdom, I realize that our military is losing a lot of great people. We’re not letting certain Americans serve in the military because of our own bias, and this goes against our basic values as a nation. Sikhs still can’t serve in the military freely, and that feels wrong to me. This policy needs to change, and it needs to change soon.”</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="spnadmin, post: 193387, member: 35"] Sikh Officer and Afghanistan Veteran Fights the Army’s Ban on Beards Share this! [url]http://www.stateofformation.org/2013/11/sikh-officer-and-afghanistan-veteran-fights-the-armys-ban-on-beards/[/url] This article originally appeared in Newsweek's The Daily Beast [URL="http://www.thedailybeast.com/the-hero-project/articles/2013/11/08/sikh-officer-and-afghanistan-veteran-fights-the-army-s-ban-on-beards.html"]click here[/URL] U.S. Army Major Kamal Singh Kalsi comes from a long tradition of military veterans. His great grandfather served in the Royal British Army. Both his father and grandfather saw combat while serving in the Indian Air Force. So when recruiters approached him and asked him to join the military in 2000, Kalsi jumped at the opportunity. “I was in medical school at the time, and I was really excited to continue the family tradition of military service,” Kalsi explains. “They also offered to cover the cost of my medical schooling, so it was a no-brainer. You’re going to give me financial support and I get to serve my country? How could anyone turn down such a great opportunity?” What seemed like an easy decision soon brought its own challenges. Major Kalsi is an American physician whose religion—Sikhism—mandates that he maintain a turban and beard. These two aspects of his physical appearance do not comport with military appearance regulations, which presumptively forbid religious headcoverings and beards. At the time of his enlistment, it had been more than two decades since the Army had enacted a presumptive ban against religious minorities who maintain visible articles of faith, and it did not seem likely that Major Kalsi would receive an accommodation to serve while upholding his distinct identity. Kalsi and his team of lawyers, led by the Sikh Coalition with assistance from an international law firm, McDermott Will & Emery, worked on securing this accommodation. As he describes it, Major Kalsi’s commitment to the lengthy process drew from his intense desire to serve and better his country. “It was very clear to me that our country had not fully healed from the violence of 9/11,” Kalsi describes. “As an American and as a Sikh, I felt a need to be proactive in fighting hatred and injustice, and my value systems teach me that the best way to do this is through service.” After nearly two years of paperwork and support from both the White House and Congress, Major Kalsi was eventually accommodated in 2009. Representative Joseph Crowley (D-NY) helped spearhead the effort to receive this accommodation, and was one of almost 50 members of Congress to sign and send a letter of support to the Department of Defense. Last week, Major Kalsi visited Capitol Hill and met with members of Congress to raise awareness about Sikhs and the challenges of ensuring equal opportunities in the military. During this trip Major Kalsi also attended the first-ever Congressional Diwali celebration, where Rep. Crowley reiterated his support for the right of Sikhs to serve in the military without compromising their religious requirements and voiced his appreciation for Major Kalsi’s service to the nation. “He has won numerous awards for his service, and I believe it’s time that we let all Sikhs serve in the United States Armed Services.” Since 2009, Major Kalsi has been serving as an Emergency Medicine physician with the U.S. Army. He was deployed to Helmand province in Afghanistan, and upon his return was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his service, which included resuscitating two fellow soldiers who were clinically dead. His colleague and roommate in Afghanistan, Captain Ryan Hepworth, attested to the value of his time with Major Kalsi during deployment. “I’m from rural Alabama and had never met a Sikh before meeting Kamal. I came to really love and respect the guy,” Captain Hepworth said. “I learned from him about how well Sikhs used to be represented in the military and how it’s expected of them to be protectors of the realm. I think that’s great and very similar to my views—and I think so many of us Americans could learn from that.” While Major Kamal Singh Kalsi and two other Sikh-Americans—Captain Tejdeep Singh Rattan and Corporal Simranpreet Singh Lamba—have received waivers from the presumptive ban that keeps devout Sikhs out of the military, the policy remains in place and makes it difficult for Sikh-Americans to enter the service. There are two arguments in particular that have been regularly cited by the U.S. military. First is the concern about properly fitting a gas mask over the turban and beard. The three Sikh-American soldiers currently serving have been able to tie their beards and use the gas masks properly, in compliance with military health and safety requirements, and have clearly shown that this is not a problem. Second is the concern of unit cohesion and whether allowing Sikhs to serve will undermine esprit de corps. Brief conversations with soldiers who served with Major Kalsi indicate that this concern does not hold much weight. For instance, Captain Hepworth responded to this question without flinching and spoke in support of reversing the current policy. “I don’t see this adjustment to uniformity to be a problem, and I never saw any issues or problems when we were deployed in Afghanistan together,” Hepworth said. “Based on my experiences with Kamal—I just trust him. He’s a complete professional, and he’s the right guy for the job. I’d work a trauma with him any day. I’d let him work on me. I’d even let him operate on my family.” Another colleague of Major Kalsi, Captain Roni Paul, also spoke to this issue. Captain Paul joined the U.S. Army after graduating from high school in 1991, and he explains that spending time with Major Kalsi really changed his mind on how he viewed the issue. “It’s almost like brainwashing, but we are really taught to believe that if your haircut isn’t right or your uniform isn’t looking good, then you have no place in the military,” Captain Paul describes. “And then all of a sudden, here comes a great asset to the military. Why should we discriminate against him just because he has a turban and beard? It has no bearing on how much someone can contribute to our country or our military.” Captain Paul followed his statement by reflecting on how getting to know Major Kalsi changed the way he thinks about the issue. “If you had asked me in 1991 when I first started, I would have said ‘No way should we allow someone with a turban and beard. ” Captain Paul said. “Now that I have much more experience and wisdom, I realize that our military is losing a lot of great people. We’re not letting certain Americans serve in the military because of our own bias, and this goes against our basic values as a nation. Sikhs still can’t serve in the military freely, and that feels wrong to me. This policy needs to change, and it needs to change soon.” [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Sikh Philosophy Network
Announcements
Get Involved
Sikh Organisations
Sikh Officer & Afghanistan Veteran Fights Army's Ban On Beards
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
Accept
Learn more…
Top