Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

US Air Force updates dress code to accommodates Sikhs

The US Air Force has updated its dress code to accommodate the religious sentiments of various communities, including the Sikhs, making it easier for them to join the service.

Finalised on February 7, the new Air Force policy establishes clear grooming and uniform standards for enlisted and officer airmen who are granted accommodations based on their sincerely held religious beliefs.


The policy also clarifies that O-6 level commanders can approve an airman's request for such an accommodation in no more than 30 days (or 60 days if the accommodation is requested outside of the US), and that an accommodation, once granted, will generally follow the airman throughout his or her career.

While there are certain limited circumstances under which a religious accommodation may not be permissible due to safety considerations, the policy appears to be otherwise comprehensive, Sikh Coalition said in a statement.

"No Sikh-American should have to choose between their religious beliefs and their career ambitions," said Giselle Klapper, Sikh Coalition staff attorney.

"Sikhs have served honourably and capably in the US Armed Forces and other militaries around the world, and while we are eager for a blanket proclamation that all observant Sikh-Americans can serve in every branch of the military without seeking accommodations, this policy clarification is a great step forward towards ensuring equality of opportunity and religious freedom in the Air Force," Klapper said.

The Air Force's clarification closely resembles the US Army's landmark 2017 policy adjustment, which similarly clarified the terms and process for soldiers requesting religious accommodations.

"Both of these policy changes are the direct result of the years-long campaign, launched in 2009 by the Sikh Coalition and our pro bono co-counsel at McDermott Will and Emery, that has included extensive advocacy efforts and litigation to ensure that observant Sikhs and other religious minorities are able to serve without compromising their faith," the Sikh Coalition said in a statement.

According to the Sikh Coalition, Airman 1st Class Gurchetan Singh is the first Sikh-American to receive an accommodation to serve in the Air National Guard. Singh's accommodation was approved in September 2019, and he will soon head to Basic and Technical Training with a specialty in Cyber Transport Systems.

"The Sikh Coalition has helped me realize my career dream while ensuring that I stay true to myself and my faith.

"Their legal assistance means that I won't face discrimination as I step up to serve, and I''m proud to help clear the way for other Sikhs who may want to join the US Air Force by demonstrating that we can serve honourably while maintaining our articles of faith," he said in a statement.

To date, the Sikh Coalition has helped more than 20 Sikh-Americans secure accommodations to serve in the US military.

More For You

King Charles

King Charles, wearing a black armband to pay respects to the victims of Air India plane crash, attends the Trooping the Colour parade on his official birthday in London. (Photo: Reuters)

Air India crash: Victims remembered during King Charles's birthday parade

A MINUTE's silence for the victims of the Air India plane crash was observed on Saturday during the Trooping the Colour parade in London marking King Charles's official birthday. Some members of the royal family wore black armbands during the ceremony.

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said King Charles, 76, had requested changes to the parade “as a mark of respect for the lives lost, the families in mourning and all the communities affected by this awful tragedy”.

Keep ReadingShow less
Rochdale grooming case

They were all remanded in custody, except Bashir, who absconded before the trial began. (Photo: Greater Manchester Police)

Seven men convicted of raping 13-year-old girls in Rochdale grooming case

SEVEN men were convicted on Friday in the UK’s latest grooming trial, after a jury heard that two girl victims were forced to have sex “with multiple men on the same day, in filthy flats and on rancid mattresses”.

Jurors at the court in Manchester, northwest England, deliberated for three weeks before finding the seven men, all of whom are of South Asian descent, guilty of rape.

Keep ReadingShow less
karan-thakar

Karun Thakar is a leading textile collector with a lifelong focus on Asian and African textiles

Karun Collection

Karun Thakar Fund to support textile research with scholarships and grants

THE KARUN THAKAR FUND, established by textile collector Karun Thakar in collaboration with the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), supports the study of Asian and African textiles and dress through scholarships and project grants.

The fund offers one-time Scholarship Awards of up to £10,000 for university students worldwide focusing on any aspect of Asian or African textiles and dress. Undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate students from any accredited university are eligible, provided their research or practice is clearly linked to these areas. The next round of Scholarship Award applications opens on 1 May 2025 and closes at 23:59 on July 15, 2025.

Keep ReadingShow less
Air India

A view shows the wreckage of the tail section of an Air India aircraft, bound for London's Gatwick Airport, which crashed during take-off from airport in Ahmedabad. (Photo: Reuters)

Air India crash: Probe focuses on engine and flaps; safety checks ordered for 787 fleet

THE INVESTIGATION into the Air India crash that killed more than 240 people is focusing on the aircraft's engine, flaps, and landing gear.

The Indian aviation regulator has ordered safety checks on the airline’s entire Boeing 787 fleet, reported Reuters.

Keep ReadingShow less