Sikh Cops Fight For Right To Wear Turbans, Grow Beards

(Flickr User Rob Hoey)

For years, a civil-rights group called the Sikh Coalition has been pressing the NYPD to allow Sikh police officers to grow beards and wear turbans while in uniform. Turbans are mandatory for Sikh men and considered a sacred raiment, but the NYPD only permits them to wear turbans under specific conditions, which the Sikh Coalition finds unacceptable. But today the City Council passed a bill that puts more pressure on employers—not just the NYPD—to allow their employees the freedom to follow their religious beliefs.

There is currently only one NYPD officer who is a Sikh. There were previously two Sikh cops who sued the city in 2004 over the turban issue and won the right to wear turbans and grow beards while serving as traffic enforcement agents. But they've since left the force, and the NYPD changed the rules after that. Today the lone Sikh officer wears a patka, which is a Sikh head covering usually worn by Sikh children. This officer is willing to fit this under his uniform hat, but the Sikh Coalition insists they shouldn't have to dress like boys to serve as NYPD officers.

Councilmember Mark Weprin, who sponsored the legislation, tells us the new law doesn't mandate the NYPD to do anything, but it raises the bar for any employer who claims an employee's religious observance creates an "undue hardship." Previously, Weprin says an employer could use "any annoyance" to justify not prohibiting a religious practice. The new law, according to Weprin, "sends a message and raises the standard that all employees, public and private, have to meet in order to not fully accommodate a religious practice." He adds:

The Sikh community is very concerned about the NYPD policy prohibiting beards and requiring a hat. I personally feel and hope the police department lets these people serve, so that someone doesn't have to choose between serving the city and their religion. I've always said that if someone wants to put their life on the line to protect my kids, we should accommodate them. I know the NYPD likes to operate like a military operation, but, ironically, the US Army has now allowed Sikh soldiers in! The NYPD should adapt.

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By John Del Signore in News on August 17, 2011 5:31 PM

Comments [rss]

Gina S

Puhlease, look at most of the cops. They look like fat slops. A beard and turban would be an improvement to some.

cobalt5

'so that someone doesn't have to choose between serving the city and their religion." Like every christian cop that works christmas? ridiculous

EricKosten

I am a religious nudist AND a cop, and demand to be allowed to patrol in the nude, SO SAYS OUR LORD ZARATHUSTRA!

BoogieDown

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police first allowed this 21 fucking years ago, and the Metropolitan Police Service (London) had their first turban-wearing officer hit the streets in 1969!!! You're so advanced, New York.

RammyH

If the excuse given for no beards is the fit of the gas masks and respirators, then we need to question whether it would be reasonable to exchange every serviceable existing NYPD/FDNY mask with one that fits bearded folk.

Do we buy only as many "beard-ready" masks as there are bearded officers? Or do we replace them all with bread-ready masks? Do we need to retrain mask technicians in upkeep of the new masks?

And not to get all slippery-slope, what happens when the next citizen, whose beliefs require him/her to wear sombreros or 3ft tall mohawk or huge dermal implants or artificial wings - what do we do then?

Requiring a uniform appearance for uniform services isn't tramping upon people's right of religion.

BoogieDown

"And not to get all slippery-slope, what happens when the next citizen,
whose beliefs require him/her to wear sombreros or 3ft tall mohawk or
huge dermal implants or artificial wings - what do we do then?"

Having lived in both the UK and Canada, I can't say that these concerns were ever realized. Sorry, but it makes me laugh when Americans are all like "but, what do we do when..." with regards to various aspects of social progress. Oh, I don't know, how about asking people from societies where these things have been the norm for decades.

For the record, I'm about as agnostic as they come and think that religion is absolute BS, but I am truly amused that this turban thing is an issue in this day and age.

Peanut_Butter

whoa. Because another society allows it doesn't in any way necessitate that ours do the same. It may give us pause to examine...

BoogieDown

Fine, just don't get all indignant when people from other parts of the world view American society as intolerant.

Peanut_Butter

I don't care what the mounties think - they're probably high from sniffing too much of that mountain air anyway ;)

BoogieDown

Yeah, that and all the excellent weed up there. Haha!

soothsayer

when the beastie boys come out to fight for your right to wear turbans, that's when I will too.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com...

Emmily_Litella

Goddamn it NO! They are very nice people, but keep the religion out of the uniform. I hate when people flaunt their religion, don't you?

ishtar_79

You make absolutely no sense.

Raj Sarkar

It's not flaunting. I wear a turban to keep my uncut hair clean and tidy. I don't cut my hair because, as a Sikh, I believe that hair is part of the human form and I want to respect it. I'm not preaching, I'm just trying to explain...

I sometimes wish ignorant people wouldn't stare or call me a terrorist, but I don't let ignorant people prevent me from practicing what I believe.

If a Sikh has a dream to be a police officer, then he shouldn't have to sacrifice his beliefs to pursue his dream. That isn't American.

Peanut_Butter

"If a Sikh has a dream to be a police officer, then he shouldn't have to
sacrifice his beliefs to pursue his dream."

Then you suffer from a common malady. It's called indecision.

Suhaagan Das

Really? In the US, the Civil Rights Act protects people from having to choose between their religion, race or whatever minority they may be and their job. It has protected race, ethnicity and gender since 1964. However, it doesn't provide the same protections to religious minorities.

All this law does is correct that imbalance.

canofpeas

As a Sikh, you don't cut your hair and you wear a turban because it's part of being a Sikh. As an NYPD officer you would need to cut your hair, cut your beard and not wear a turban because that's part of being a police officer. You want the rules to conform to you because of your religion. That shouldn't happen in this country because that isn't American.

SFNY

No, being able to join the NYPD or the US Army and retain your articles of faith is American. The US is not a country where people have to choose between pursuing their livelihood and practicing their religion.