The Citadel military school in SC has denied a request by a newly admitted student to wear a traditional Muslim headscarf.
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In an official statement, published by the Post and Courier, President Lt. Gen. John Rosa explains the Citadel’s dress code and why hijabs are prohibited.
Family spokesman Ibrahim Hooper with the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Washington, D.C., said the woman will not attend the school unless there is a change.
Still, Hooper insisted that the student’s fight to wear hijab at the Citadel was not over, and that CAIR is “working with the family to determine what legal action will be taken now”.
“It is extremely important that institutions like the Citadel understand that because we have a diverse country, they have to be willing to deal with diverse beliefs”, he said.
“Our nation’s military now accommodates religious attire in the form of headscarves, beards and turbans”, Mr. Burgess said in a statement.
“The Citadel says it has an interest in absolutely uniform appearance, but the Army made the same argument in our recent lawsuit, and it didn’t hold water”, he said.
“It’s not just a religious issue, but it is a feminist one because they are women”, says Hafez, an associate professor of gender and sexuality studies at the University of California, Riverside.
Citing examples of how the college provides for cadets’ religious needs, including arranging transportation to churches, mosques and other places of worship, as well as prayer and dietary accommodations, Rosa wrote, “The Citadel recognizes the importance of a cadet’s spiritual and religious beliefs, providing services for specific needs whenever possible”.
We believe the desire to maintain an outdated ‘tradition, ‘ which was the same argument used to initially deny admittance to African-Americans and women, does not justify violating a student’s constitutional rights.
The Citadel, which is a public college, admitted its first female cadet in 1995.
The 174-year-old military college informed the young woman, whose name has not been released, in call on Tuesday that, while the administration hoped she would be among student body in the fall, she would not be granted a special accommodation to the uniform policy.
The U.S. military allows religious exceptions to its uniform rules for hijabs and other articles of faith, albeit with caveats, he added.
On Tuesday, Pinelli posted a statement on Facebook supporting the school’s decision.
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He said, “The diversity of religions and cultural backgrounds represented in the Corps enriches the overall cadet experience and better prepares graduates to become principled leaders in all walks of life, underpinned by The Citadel’s core values of honor, duty and respect”.
